U.S. Code » Title 52 » Subtitle Subtitle II— Voting Assistance and Election Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 205— NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION

52 U.S.C. § 20511

Criminal penalties

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A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office—(1) knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person for—(A) registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote;(B) urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote; or(C) exercising any right under this chapter; or(2) knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by—(A) the procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held; or(B) the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held,shall be fined in accordance with title 18 (which fines shall be paid into the general fund of the Treasury, miscellaneous receipts (pursuant to section 3302 of title 31), notwithstanding any other law), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.(Pub. L. 103–31, § 12, May 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 88.)Editorial NotesCodification

Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–10 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (7 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: Fish v. Kobach, 840 F.3d 710 (10th Cir. 2016).
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Fish v. Kobach, 840 F.3d 710 (10th Cir. 2016). “at 88, with 52 U.S.C. § 20511 . It should also be noted that while the NVRA was originally codified in Title 42, §§ 1973gg to 1973gg-10, see Pub.”
Pennsylvania State Conf. of NAACP Branches v. Northampton Cnty. Bd. of Elections, 97 F.4th 120 (3rd Cir. 2024). “§ 597 ; 52 U.S.C. § 20511 . Contrary to the Majority’s characterization, these observations are not based upon whether there are legitimate interests being furthered, but rather are based upon what the law says.”
True the Vote v. Hosemann, 43 F. Supp. 3d 693 (S.D. Miss. 2014). “Plaintiffs, collectively referred to as "Plaintiffs,” are True the Vote, Jane Coin, Brandie Correro, Chad Higdon, Jennifer Higdon, Gene Hopkins, Frederick Lee Jenkins, Mary Jenkins, Tavish Kelly, Donna Knezevich, Joseph Knezevich, Doris Lee, Lauren Lynch, Norma Mackey, Roy…”
Pub. Interest Legal Found., Inc. v. Bellows, 92 F.4th 36 (1st Cir. 2024). “52 U.S.C § 20511. However, far from suggesting that the Voter File must not be publicly released, these statutes impose their own set of restrictions on the dissemination of personal information and protections against potential voter intimidation that, when read in tandem with…”
United States v. Kim Taylor (8th Cir. 2025). · cites it 5× “One group of counts charged Taylor with 26 violations of 52 U.S.C. § 20511 (2). The crime involves “knowingly and willfully depriv[ing] .”
Auth. to Obtain & Share Statewide Voter Roll Data (OLC 2026). · cites it 4× “§ 1015(f); 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2). And by regulation, the Division has been delegated powers to assist in that effort.”
Walters v. Lombardo (D. Nev. 2024). · cites it 3× “d lack authority, that the 1979/1980 Nevada constitutional amendment 11 was invalidly adopted and is void, that the Nevada electors illegally participated in the 2020 12 Electoral College and have no authority to vote in the 2024 national election, that the “State of 13…”
Child v. Delaware Cnty. Bd. of Elections (E.D. Pa. 2024). · cites it 2× “” This is alleged to be “a direct violation of 52 U.S.C. § 20511 and 25 Pa. C.S. § 1901.”
Crystal Mason v. State (Tex. App. 2020). “See 52 U.S.C.A. § 20511 (2) (West 2015) (fine and up to five years’ imprisonment); Tex.”
Graeff v. Ashcroft (E.D. Mo. 2023). “§ 245 , and 52 U.S.C. § 20511 (2)(b). On September 16, 2022, Defendants removed the cause of action to this Court on the basis of federal question jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.”
— 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2) — 1 case
Auth. to Obtain & Share Statewide Voter Roll Data (OLC 2026). “§ 1015(f); 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2). And by regulation, the Division has been delegated powers to assist in that effort.”
— 52 U.S.C. § 20511(a)(2) — 1 case
Auth. to Obtain & Share Statewide Voter Roll Data (OLC 2026). “§ 1015(f); 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2). And by regulation, the Division has been delegated powers to assist in that effort.”
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