Late yesterday, the California Assembly approved the Protecting Elections from Armed Coercion and Extremism (PEACE) Act, A.B. 2642, legislation that would bolster the state’s protections against intimidation and coercion across the voting process. The bill, which received bipartisan support, passed the state Senate earlier this week and the state Assembly late Thursday. It would ban intimidation and threats in elections, and provide voters, election officials, and election workers the ability to sue people who engage in this conduct. It would also establish that the presence of guns where elections are being conducted amounts to unlawful intimidation. Recognizing the urgency of this legislation in an election year, the bill received two-thirds of the vote in both chambers, allowing it to go into effect when signed. If enacted, the PEACE Act would be the first of its kind in the country. It was developed by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and GIFFORDS Law Center.
Wendy Weiser, vice president for the Democracy program, had the following comment:
“California’s lawmakers showed national leadership by passing this critical legislation to promote public safety and free and fair elections. The PEACE Act would give everyone involved in voting an extra layer of protection, whether they’re casting ballots or counting them. We urge the governor to sign the bill into law so that Californians can benefit from it this election.”
Related resources:
- Guns and Voting: How to Protect Elections After Bruen, Brennan Center for Justice and GIFFORDS Law Center (September 2023)
- “Poll of Election Officials Finds Concern About Safety, Political Interference,” Brennan Center for Justice (May 2024)
- “How States Can Prevent Election Subversion in 2024 and Beyond,” Brennan Center for Justice (September 2023)
