The Senate joined the House in passing House Bill 202 at the end of the session. The bill, introduced by Rep. Cyndie Romer in June, bars all firearms at active polling places unless carried by a law enforcement officer, commissioned security guard, constable or active-duty member of the military who is acting in their official capacity.
HB 202 would apply to any in-person election, including general, primary and special elections, local school elections, municipal elections and locations designated for early voting.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in voter intimidation tactics across the country in recent election cycles with armed ‘election integrity’ vigilantes camped outside of polling sites,” said Sen. Sokola, the Senate prime sponsor of HB 202. “Bringing a gun to a polling place does not increase election security. It threatens voters and significantly increases the chance of a deadly confrontation.”
| HOUSE BILL 202 – LIMITING THOSE WHO CAN LEGALLY POSSESS A FIREARM AT A POLLING PLACE | Currrent Status – House Passed 36-4-0-1. Senate Passed 15-5-1. Signed by Governor Carney |
| House Sponsors – Romer, Heffernan, Longhurst, Minor-Brown, Schwartzkopf, Baumbach, Bolden, Johnson, Morrison, Osienski | Senate Sponsors – Sokola, Hoffner, Huxtable, Townsend |
| House Yes Votes – Baumbach Bolden Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Harris Heffernan Johnson Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Morrison Neal Osienski Parker-Selby Phillips Romer Schwartzkopf Williams Wilson-Anton // Briggs King Dukes Gray Hensley Hilovsky Ramone Short Shupe Smith Spiegelman Yearick | Senate Yes Votes – Brown Gay Hansen Hoffner Huxtable Lockman Mantzavinos McBride Paradee Pinkney Poore Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh |
| House No Votes – Morris, Vanderwende, Collins, Postles | Senate No Votes – Hocker, Buckson, Richardson, Wilson, Lawson |
| House Absents or Not Voting – Moore | Senate Absent or Not Voting – Pettyjohn |
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