Congressional Democrats plan to introduce legislation that would criminalize the knowing and intentional dissemination of false election information, HuffPost reports.
The bill would make illegal the practice of spreading erroneous information about the time and place of elections, voter qualifications and registration status, HuffPost reports, among other indiscretions.
The penalty for peddling false misinformation: up to 5 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, HuffPost reports.
"Most people say that it seems crazy that it’s not illegal to tell somebody they can vote on Wednesday when actually they can’t. And I agree with that," former Justice Department official Justin Levitt told HuffPost.
The Senate version is titled "Deceptive Practices 5 and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2018," and its sponsors are Sens. Claire McCaskill, Doug Jones, Patrick Leahy and Ben Cardin.
Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler and Donald McEachin plan to introduce a companion bill in the House, HuffPo reports.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.