Maryland bill backed by Gov. Wes Moore seeks to protect election officials from threats

By BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland lawmakers are considering legislation to enable authorities to investigate and prosecute specific threats to harm election officials or immediate family members, as threats against them rise across the country. The measure, which has the support of Gov. Wes Moore, would make threatening an election official a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to $2,500. The bill had a hearing in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee on Wednesday. The National Conference of State Legislatures says 14 states have enacted laws specifically addressing protections for election officials and poll workers since 2020.