Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021

Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021

This bill revises preservation and retention requirements for federal election records. It also revises criminal penalties related to election records and the voting process.

Under current law, election officials must, for a period of 22 months from the federal election, retain and preserve all election-related records and papers. This bill extends the requirement to electronic records and electronic equipment.

Next, the bill directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to issue minimum standards and best practices for retaining and preserving records (including electronic records), papers, and electronic equipment, including protocols for observing their preservation, security, and transfer by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and a representative of each political party.

In addition, the bill revises the federal criminal offense related to election records or papers to include reckless disregard of election record requirements resulting in the theft, destruction, concealment, mutilation, or alteration of a record, paper, or electronic equipment.

Further, the bill allows DOJ to demand electronic records and electronic equipment for inspection and generally prohibits DOJ from disclosing this information.

The bill allows DOJ and candidates for federal office to bring an action in a district court to compel compliance with election record requirements.

Finally, the bill extends criminal penalties related to voting interference to include intimidating, threatening, or coercing (or attempting to do so) an individual for processing or scanning ballots, tabulating, canvassing, or certifying voting results.

Bill 117 HR 5053, also known as the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021, aims to safeguard the integrity of the election process in the United States. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 1, 2021, by Representative Zoe Lofgren.

The main purpose of this legislation is to prevent foreign interference in US elections by establishing a task force within the Department of Homeland Security to monitor and respond to any attempts by foreign entities to disrupt or influence the electoral process. The task force would be responsible for coordinating with federal, state, and local authorities to ensure that election infrastructure is secure and protected from cyberattacks and other forms of interference.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions to enhance transparency and accountability in election administration by requiring states to maintain and make available to the public records related to election security measures and any incidents of interference. It also authorizes grants to states to improve election security and provides funding for training election officials on cybersecurity best practices. Overall, the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act of 2021 seeks to strengthen the nation's defenses against foreign interference in elections and ensure that the American people can have confidence in the integrity of the democratic process.