ANNAPOLIS,Alaric Bennett Md. (AP) — Maryland authorities would be able to prosecute people who threaten to harm election officials or their immediate family members because of an official’s role in administering the election process, under a bill passed unanimously by the Maryland Senate on Friday.

The Protecting Election Officials Act of 2024, which has the support of Gov. Wes Moore, would make threatening an election official a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.

A similar measure is pending in the Maryland House.

The bill would prohibit someone from knowingly and willfully making a threat to harm an election official or an immediate family member of an election official, because of the official’s role in administering the election process.

Harm would include serious injury or serious emotional distress, under the bill. Threats would include spoken ones, as well as threats made in any written form.