Accessible and Expedited Voting

SB0073

Senator Ellis

Election Law - Polling Place Procedures - Voting by Elderly Voters and Voters With Disabilities (Accessible and Expedited Voting Act of Maryland)

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Requiring the State Board of Elections, as part of the training program for election judges, to include instruction on best practices for assisting elderly voters and voters with disabilities; requiring the Board to establish guidelines for the local boards of election to implement a process to accommodate and expedite voting for elderly voters and voters with disabilities at each early voting center and polling place; requiring the local boards to implement the guidelines and collect feedback on the process; etc.

Ballot Questions-Plain Language

HB0044

SB0029

Delegate Feldmark

Election Law - Petitions and Ballot Questions - Contents, Plain Language Requirement, and Procedures

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Altering the information that is required to be included on the signature page of a petition seeking to place a question on the ballot and with a question on the ballot; requiring that a certain summary included on the signature page of a petition seeking to place a question on the ballot and a certain statement about a question on the ballot be written in plain language; requiring certain boards of elections to post the text of ballot measures for at least 90 days before the general election; etc.

Ballot Questions-Plain Language

SB0029

HB0044

Senator Kagan

Election Law - Petitions and Ballot Questions - Contents, Plain Language Requirement, and Procedures

Hearing 1/21 at 11:00 a.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Altering the information that is required to be included on the signature page of a petition seeking to place a question on the ballot and with a question on the ballot; requiring that a certain summary included on the signature page of a petition seeking to place a question on the ballot and a certain statement about a question on the ballot be written in plain language; requiring certain boards of elections to post the text of ballot measures for at least 90 days before the general election; etc.

Certification of Election-Supporting Technology

SB0236

Senator Kagan

Election Law - Certification of Election-Supporting Technology - Regulations, Review, and Evaluation

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for the review, certification, and decertification of election-supporting technology and to review and evaluate election-supporting technology on or before January 1 each year; and requiring that the regulations be adopted by December 1, 2026.

Congressional Stock Trading Transparency

HB0207

Delegate Vogel

Election Law - Certificate of Candidacy for Congressional Offices - Stock Trading Activities (Congressional Stock Trading Transparency Act)

Hearing 1/21 at 1:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Requiring the State Board of Elections to include the option on the certificate of candidacy form for candidates for congressional offices to indicate that, if elected, the candidate and the candidate's spouse will not engage in certain stock trading activities during the candidate's term of office; and requiring the State Board to publish on its website information concerning candidates for congressional offices who make that indication.

Early Voting Centers - Bus Stops

SB0100

HB0263

Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

Election Law - Early Voting Centers - Bus Stops

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Requiring buses operating on fixed local routes funded by a county or municipal corporation and operated by the county or municipal corporation or a contractor for the county or municipal corporation to allow passengers to embark and disembark at the entrance of early voting centers located within one-half mile of the route.

Early Voting Centers - Bus Stops

HB0263

SB0100

Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee

Election Law - Early Voting Centers - Bus Stops

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Requiring buses operating on fixed local routes funded by a county or municipal corporation and operated by a county or municipal corporation or a contractor for a county or municipal corporation to allow passengers to embark and disembark at the entrance of early voting centers located within one-half mile of the route.

Incarcerated Individuals Voting

HB0052

SB0089

Delegate Wilkins

Election Law - Incarcerated Individuals - Voter Hotline and Voting Eligibility (Voting Rights for All Act)

First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

Government, Labor, and Elections

Requiring the State Board of Elections to provide a toll-free voter hotline for incarcerated individuals to receive information about voting, request election-related materials, and report voting rights violations; and altering the circumstances under which an individual is not qualified to be a registered voter for the purpose of allowing individuals convicted of a felony and serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment for the conviction to register to vote.

Incarcerated Individuals Voting

SB0089

HB0052

Senator Muse

Election Law - Incarcerated Individuals - Voter Hotline and Voting Eligibility (Voting Rights for All Act)

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Requiring the State Board of Elections to provide a toll-free voter hotline for incarcerated individuals to receive information about voting, request election-related materials, and report voting rights violations; and altering the circumstances under which an individual is not qualified to be a registered voter for the purpose of allowing individuals convicted of a felony and serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment for the conviction to register to vote.

Misinformation and Deepfakes

HB0145

SB0141

Delegate Feldmark

Election Law - Election Misinformation, Election Disinformation, and Deepfakes

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Requiring the State Administrator of Elections to take certain actions if the State Administrator receives a credible report that election misinformation or election disinformation, including a deepfake, has been or is being communicated, disseminated, or distributed; requiring the Administrator to communication correct information to the public; prohibiting a person, under certain circumstances, from knowingly or with reckless disregard using or disseminating a deepfake to produce materially false information; etc.

Misinformation and Deepfakes

SB0141

HB0145

Senator Hester

Election Law - Election Misinformation, Election Disinformation, and Deepfakes

Hearing 1/21 at 11:00 a.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Requiring the State Administrator of Elections to take certain actions if the State Administrator receives a credible report that election misinformation or election disinformation, including a deepfake, has been or is being communicated, disseminated, or distributed; requiring the Administrator to communicate correct information to the public; prohibiting a person, under certain circumstances, from knowingly or with reckless disregard using or disseminating a deepfake to produce materially false information; etc.

Oversight of Campaign Funds

SB0153

HB0267

Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

Election Law - Campaign Finance Entities - Oversight and Control of Campaign Funds

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Altering the manner in which the chair of a campaign finance entity is appointed; providing that the treasurer is the financial steward of a campaign finance entity; altering requirements for assets received by or on behalf of a campaign finance entity and disbursements made by or on behalf of a campaign finance entity; repealing the authority of the chair of a campaign finance entity to approve a disbursement on behalf of the campaign finance entity under certain circumstances; etc.

Oversight of Campaign Funds

HB0267

SB0153

Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee

Election Law - Campaign Finance Entities - Oversight and Control of Campaign Funds

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Altering the manner in which the chair of a campaign finance entity is appointed; providing that the treasurer is the financial steward of a campaign finance entity; altering requirements for assets received by or on behalf of a campaign finance entity and disbursements made by or on behalf of a campaign finance entity; repealing the authority of the chair of a campaign finance entity to approve a disbursement on behalf of the campaign finance entity under certain circumstances; etc.

Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

HB0182

SB0237

Delegate Stein

Election Law - Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Altering the procedures for the selection of presidential elector nominees and alternate presidential elector nominees; requiring the State Administrator of Elections to preside at a certain meeting of certain presidential electors; altering the procedures for the meeting of presidential electors; and establishing procedures for the preparation, delivery, signing, and transmission of an amended certificate of ascertainment after the vote of the State's presidential electors under certain circumstances.

Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

SB0237

HB0182

Senator Kagan

Election Law - Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Altering the procedures for the selection of presidential elector nominees and alternate presidential elector nominees; requiring the State Administrator of Elections to preside at a certain meeting of certain presidential electors; altering the procedures for the meeting of presidential electors; and establishing procedures for the preparation, delivery, signing, and transmission of an amended certificate of ascertainment after the vote of the State's presidential electors under certain circumstances.

Primaries - change of party

HB0221

Delegate Bouchat

Election Law - Primary Elections - Change of Political Party Affiliation

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution authorizing a voter to change the voter's political party affiliation at an early voting center or a precinct polling place during a primary election and vote the ballot for the voter's new political party affiliation.

Redisctricting Commission

SB0104

Senator Hershey

Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission (Fair Districts for Maryland Act)

First Reading Senate Rules

Rules

Requiring single-member delegate districts; altering certain standards for the drawing of legislative districts; establishing standards for the drawing of congressional districts; establishing the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission as an independent unit of State government to divide the State into certain legislative districts and congressional districts subject to certain requirements and procedures; etc.

Single-Member Districts

HB0056

Delegate Bouchat

Districting - Single-Member Districts and Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Convention

First Reading House Rules and Executive Nominations

Rules and Executive Nominations

Requiring that each legislative district established for the purpose of electing members of the House of Delegates consist of three single-member delegate districts; requiring the General Assembly to enact a law establishing and governing a Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Convention to establish legislative and congressional districts and establishing certain requirements regarding the Redistricting Convention; establishing the Redistricting Convention; etc.

Unaffiliated Voters

SB0132

HB0156

Senator Kagan

Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Authorizing unaffiliated voters to request to affiliate with a political party at an early voting center during a primary election and vote a provisional ballot for the voter's preferred political party; and requiring an election judge to determine whether the voter resides in the county in which the voter seeks to vote.

Unaffiliated Voters

HB0156

SB0132

Delegate Fair

Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Authorizing unaffiliated voters to request to affiliate with a political party at an early voting center during a primary election and vote a provisional ballot for the voter's preferred political party; and requiring an election judge to determine whether the voter resides in the county in which the voter seeks to vote.

Voter Intimidation and Suppression

HB0219

Delegate Smith

Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026 - Voter Intimidation and Suppression

Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

Government, Labor, and Elections

Altering public notice requirements of the State Board of Elections, local boards of elections, and certain municipal corporations with respect to changes in administrative policy affecting voting rights; prohibiting acts of intimidation, deception, or obstruction that interfere with the right to vote; prohibiting local governments from taking any action related to the election process that results in a disparity between members of a protected class and other members of the electorate; etc.

Voting Rights - Counties and Municipalities

SB0255

HB0350

Senator Sydnor

Voting Rights Act of 2026 - Counties and Municipal Corporations

Hearing 1/27 at 1:00 p.m.

Education, Energy, and the Environment

Prohibiting the imposition or application of a method for electing the governing body of a county or municipal corporation that impairs the ability of members of a protected class to elect candidates of the members' choice or influence the outcome of an election by diluting or abridging the rights of voters who are members of a protected class.

Voting Rights - Counties and Municipalities

HB0350

SB0255

Delegate Wims

Voting Rights Act of 2026 - Counties and Municipal Corporations

First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

Government, Labor, and Elections

Prohibiting the imposition or application of a method for electing the governing body of a county or municipal corporation that impairs the ability of members of a protected class to elect candidates of the members' choice or the member's ability to influence the outcome of an election as a result of the dilution or the abridgement of the rights of voters who are members of a protected class.