Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB989 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0989
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 989
8	8	G1 2lr3277
9	9	HB 746/21 – W&M CF HB 1172
10	10	By: Senator Ellis
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 20, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Rules
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Election Law – Absentee Ballot Envelopes – Party Affiliation 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting absentee ballot envelopes, ballot/return envelopes, return 3
21	21	envelopes, and envelope templates from including language or information that 4
22	22	visibly identifies the party affiliation of the voter; and generally relating to absentee 5
23	23	ballot envelopes. 6
24	24
25	25	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
26	26	Article – Election Law 8
27	27	Section 9–310 9
28	28	Annotated Code of Maryland 10
29	29	(2017 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 11
30	30
31	31	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
32	32	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
33	33
34	34	Article – Election Law 14
35	35
36	36	9–310. 15
37	37
38	38	(a) (1) This subsection applies only to an absentee ballot that is sent by mail. 16
39	39
40	40	(2) (i) 1. An absentee ballot shall be enclosed in specially printed 17
41	41	envelopes, the form and content of which shall be prescribed by the State Board. 18
42	42
43	43	2. THE FORM AND CONTENT PRESCRIBED UNDER 19
44	44	SUBSUBPARAGRAPH 1 OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH MAY NOT INCLUDE LANG UAGE OR 20
45	45	INFORMATION THAT VISIBL Y IDENTIFIES THE PAR TY AFFILIATION OF TH E VOTER. 21
46	46
47	47	(ii) The outgoing envelope shall include a statement, prominently 22 2 SENATE BILL 989
48	48
49	49
50	50	placed, requesting that the recipient return the absentee ballot to the local board if the 1
51	51	intended recipient no longer lives at that address. 2
52	52
53	53	(3) (i) A local board may use either two envelopes or three envelopes. 3
54	54
55	55	(ii) If two envelopes are used, the inner envelope shall be designated 4
56	56	the “ballot/return envelope”, and, when issued, it shall fit inside the envelope designated 5
57	57	the “outgoing envelope”. 6
58	58
59	59	(iii) If three envelopes are used, the innermost envelope shall be 7
60	60	designated the “ballot envelope”, which shall fit inside the envelope designated the “return 8
61	61	envelope”, both of which, when issued, shall fit inside the envelope designated the “outgoing 9
62	62	envelope”. 10
63	63
64	64	(iv) The ballot/return envelope described under subparagraph (ii) of 11
65	65	this paragraph and the return envelope described under subparagraph (iii) of this 12
66	66	paragraph provided to a voter voting by absentee ballot: 13
67	67
68	68	1. shall include prepaid postage; AND 14
69	69
70	70	2. MAY NOT INCLUDE LANG UAGE OR INFORMATION 15
71	71	THAT VISIBLY IDENTIF IES THE PARTY AFFILI ATION OF THE VOTER . 16
72	72
73	73	(4) (i) An absentee ballot shall be accompanied by instructions for 17
74	74	postage of the ballot/return envelope or the return envelope. 18
75	75
76	76	(ii) The instructions for postage shall include: 19
77	77
78	78	1. a statement that the ballot/return envelope or return 20
79	79	envelope includes prepaid postage and may be mailed as is; and 21
80	80
81	81	2. directions for how a voter may attach postage for the 22
82	82	purpose of reducing the costs of the local board. 23
83	83
84	84	(5) When voted and returned to the local board, an absentee ballot shall be 24
85	85	enclosed in a ballot envelope or ballot/return envelope, on which has been printed an oath 25
86	86	prescribed by the State Board. 26
87	87
88	88	(b) The State Board shall reimburse each local board for 50% of the cost of prepaid 27
89	89	postage included on ballot/return envelopes or return envelopes provided to a voter voting 28
90	90	by absentee ballot under subsection [(a)(3)(iv)] (A)(3)(IV)1 of this section. 29
91	91
92	92	(c) (1) If an absentee ballot is sent by the Internet or facsimile transmission, 30
93	93	the local board shall provide the voter with an envelope template, the oath prescribed by 31
94	94	the State Board, and instructions for marking and returning the absentee ballot. 32
95	95	SENATE BILL 989 3
96	96
97	97
98	98	(2) AN ENVELOPE TEMPLATE PROVIDED UNDER PARAG RAPH (1) OF 1
99	99	THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT INCLUDE LANGUAGE OR INFORMATION THAT VISIBLY 2
100	100	IDENTIFIES THE PARTY AFFILIATION OF THE V OTER. 3
101	101
102	102	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall tak e effect June 4
103	103	1, 2022. 5
104	104
105	105
106	106