U.S. lawmakers introduced a new bill to protect voters and election workers on Wednesday.

The bicameral Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act limits the visible presence of firearms at voting locations and protects election workers from individuals intent on affecting the voting administration process in a negative way.

“No place in America should fear of violence prevent somebody from being able to cast their vote, and no election worker should have to fear for their safety or for their life in helping us administer the fundamental process of democracy that we call elections,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and bill co-author, said Wednesday at an event announcing the bill. 

Almost 40% of election officials said they had been subjected to threats, abuse or harassment this year, according to a survey from the Brennan Center for Justice. According to the nonprofit law institute at New York University, in the last month alone, election officials in 15 different states have received suspicious packages with white powder in them.

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a similar bipartisan bill into state law to provide protections to election workers and voters in the state. The Protecting Elections from Armed Coercion and Extremism, or PEACE, Act provides legal protection against intimidation at all stages of the voting process, from the time voters cast their ballots to when election officials count and certify the votes.

It also provides legal protections for people who experience voting intimidation, including an emergency provision that allows voter election officials to carry out their official duties.

The federal legislation codifies the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits voter intimidation, and applies it to election officials and election workers as well as voters.

“I firmly believe that these protections should be in place for all voters nationwide,” Padilla said. “At this moment, we need to lower the temperature on political rhetoric and make sure that all Americans feel safe enough to participate in our democracy.”

During Wednesday’s press conference, Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., showed a photo of two armed people dressed in tactical gear at a ballot drop box in Mesa, Ariz., in 2022.

“This is unfortunately becoming too common,” he said. “I served in a war zone. Our polls should never feel like one.”