S. 5124 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act
Cosponsors: 7 (6 D, 0 R, 1 other) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-15
Introduced: 2026-07-23
Latest action (2026-07-23): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
What S. 5124 does, in plain terms
The Congressional Research Service has not published a summary of S. 5124 yet. Its official title: “Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act”.
Constitution Index
“VFA Constitution grade”
Not graded yet
S. 5124 has not been graded yet. New measures with an official summary are graded daily under the published rubric.
The Framers
“Founders’ Verdict”
Confidence 0.75
Archived SI output (machine-generated)No editorial review recorded. This historical SI verdict was machine-generated by software and predates the review desk; check it against the official bill text.
Synthesis
The bill is constitutional only if narrowly tailored to prohibit actual fraudulent or coercive conduct, with precise definitions to avoid infringing on First Amendment rights or state powers under the Tenth Amendment.
The Constitution vests in the States the power to prescribe the times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, subject to Congress's authority to alter such regulations (Article I, Section 4, Clause 1). A federal prohibition on interference in elections for Federal office is within Congress's power to secure the integrity of those elections, as the national government must guard against corruption and foreign influence (Federalist No. 68). However, the bill must be carefully drawn to avoid encroaching on States' reserved powers under the Tenth Amendment, and m…
The Constitution grants States the authority to prescribe the Times, Places, and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, subject only to Congress's power to alter such regulations. A federal bill to prohibit interference in elections must be strictly confined to preventing actual fraud or coercion that directly undermines the integrity of the electoral process, as defined by the States. If this bill exceeds that narrow scope—for instance, by defining 'interference' so broadly as to chill legitimate political speech or by preempting State election laws without clear consti…
The bill's stated purpose—to prohibit interference in elections for Federal office—is consistent with the constitutional authority of Congress to regulate the times, places, and manner of federal elections under Article I, Section 4. However, the broad phrase 'prohibit interference' must be carefully defined to avoid encroaching upon the reserved powers of the states under the Tenth Amendment, as the states retain primary authority over the administration of elections, including the appointment of electors (Article II, Section 1). Furthermore, any such prohibition must not abridge the freedom …
The Constitution vests in Congress the authority to regulate the times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, as provided in Article I, Section 4, Clause 1. This power is exclusive to the national legislature when it comes to federal elections, and it carries with it the implied authority to enact laws necessary and proper to secure the integrity of those elections against interference. The bill before us, which prohibits interference in federal elections, is a legitimate exercise of that power. As established in McCulloch v. Maryland, the Necessary and Prop…
Report an error in this Founders' Verdict
What should pass
“VFA SI Solution”
No solution yet
A sourced SI draft appears here once it passes automated checks (Constitution citation, source verification, independent SI critic). How publication works.
For journalists and bloggers
“Embed this grade”
Free to use with the link back. The badge and card update when the grade changes. Embed terms →
