EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1113*
HOUSE BILL 1113
G1 5lr2520
HB 1088/24 – W&M
By: Delegate Feldmark
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration System 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration to implement an enhanced 3
automatic voter registration system on or before a certain date; establishing 4
requirements regarding the transmission of enhanced automatic voter registration 5
information by the Administration, the processing of the voter registration 6
information by the State Board of Elections, and the sending of notices by the State 7
Board; authorizing the State Board to implement certain enhanced automatic voter 8
registration procedures at certain agencies with the consent of the agencies; 9
providing that certain enhanced automatic voter registration procedures do not 10
apply to participants in certain confidentiality programs except under certain 11
circumstances; requiring the Administration to implement procedures to reliably 12
record and validate the specific documents presented by certain applicants in 13
compliance with a certain federal law; and generally relating to enhanced automatic 14
voter registration. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Election Law 17
Section 3–203, 3–303, and 3–503 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Election Law 23
3–203. 24
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 25
2 HOUSE BILL 1113
(2) (i) “Applicable transaction” means: 1
1. at the Motor Vehicle Administration, an initial application 2
for or renewal of a driver’s license or identification card, or a change of name or address on 3
an existing driver’s license or identification card, or any other transaction in which the 4
Motor Vehicle Administration obtains all of the information from an applicant that satisfies 5
the requirements to register to vote; 6
2. at the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, any application 7
for or renewal of health insurance coverage; 8
3. at a local department of social services, an initial 9
application for a State or federally funded public assistance program or an application for 10
a recertification, renewal, or change of name or address relating to a State or federally 11
funded public assistance program; or 12
4. at the Mobility Certification Office in the Maryland 13
Transit Administration, an initial application for paratransit service or an application for 14
recertification for paratransit service. 15
(ii) “Applicable transaction” includes any transaction described in 16
subparagraph (i) of this paragraph that is completed online. 17
(III) “APPLICABLE TRANSACTIO N” DOES NOT INCLUDE A REAL 18
ID TRANSACTION . 19
(3) “Automatic voter registration agency” means: 20
(i) the Motor Vehicle Administration; 21
(ii) the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange; 22
(iii) local departments of social services; and 23
(iv) the Mobility Certification Office in the Maryland Transit 24
Administration. 25
(4) “Automatic voter registration system” means a system that, as an 26
integral part of each applicable transaction at an automatic voter registration agency: 27
(i) informs an applicant: 28
1. that the applicant shall be registered to vote or shall have 29
a voter registration record updated, if applicable, unless the applicant declines to register 30
to vote or update a voter registration record or if the applicant is not eligible to register to 31
vote; 32
HOUSE BILL 1113 3
2. of the qualifications to register to vote under § 3–102 of 1
this title; 2
3. that the applicant should not register if the applicant does 3
not meet all the qualifications; 4
4. of the penalties for the submission of a false application; 5
and 6
5. that voter registration is voluntary and that neither 7
registering nor declining to register to vote will in any way affect the availability of services 8
or benefits; 9
(ii) requires the electronic signature of the applicant, subject to the 10
penalties for perjury, by which the applicant attests that the information provided by the 11
applicant is true and that the applicant meets all the qualifications to become a registered 12
voter, including United States citizenship; and 13
(iii) electronically transmits the voter registration information of 14
each applicant who does not decline to register to vote or update a voter registration record 15
directly to the State Board: 16
1. in a manner and format specified jointly by the automatic 17
voter registration agency and the State Board; and 18
2. within 5 days of the applicable transaction. 19
(5) “ENHANCED AUTOMATIC VO TER REGISTRATION NOT ICE” MEANS 20
A NOTICE IN A FORMAT PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE BOARD THAT: 21
(I) INCLUDES A STATEMENT EXPLAINING: 22
1. THAT THE APPLICANT S HALL BE REGISTERED T O 23
VOTE UNLESS THE APPL ICANT DECLINES TO RE GISTER TO VOTE OR IF THE 24
APPLICANT IS NOT ELI GIBLE TO REGISTER T O VOTE; 25
2. THE QUALIFICATIONS T O REGISTER TO VOTE U NDER § 26
3–102 OF THIS TITLE; 27
3. THAT THE APPLICANT S HOULD DECLINE 28
REGISTRATION IF THE APPLICANT DOES NOT M EET ALL THE QUALIFIC ATIONS FOR 29
VOTER REGISTRATION ; 30
4. THE PENALTIES FOR SU BMISSION OF A FALSE 31
APPLICATION; 32 4 HOUSE BILL 1113
5. THAT VOTER REGISTRAT ION IS VOLUNTARY AND THAT 1
NEITHER REGISTERING NOR DECLINING TO REG ISTER TO VOTE WILL I N ANY WAY 2
AFFECT THE AVAILABIL ITY OF SERVICES OR B ENEFITS; AND 3
6. THAT IF THE APPLICAN T DOES NOT SELECT A 4
POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIAT ION, THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BE DESIGNATED AS NOT 5
AFFILIATED WITH A PO LITICAL PARTY AND WI LL BE UNABLE TO VOTE IN A PARTY 6
PRIMARY ELECTION ; 7
(II) ALLOWS THE APPLICANT TO: 8
1. DECLINE TO BE REGIST ERED TO VOTE BY MAKI NG AN 9
APPROPRIATE NOTATION AND RETURNI NG THE NOTICE POSTAG E PREPAID; AND 10
2. IF THE APPLICANT DID NOT SELECT A POLITIC AL 11
PARTY AFFILIATION AT THE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION , SELECT A 12
POLITICAL PARTY AFFI LIATION BY MAKING AN APPROPRIATE NOTATION AND 13
RETURNING THE NOTICE POSTAGE PREPA ID; 14
(III) INCLUDES INSTRUCTION S REGARDING HOW THE 15
APPLICANT MAY SELECT A POLITICAL PARTY AF FILIATION ELECTRONIC ALLY; AND 16
(IV) MAY BE COMBINED WITH A VOTER ACKNOWLEDGEM ENT 17
NOTICE OR VOTER NOTI FICATION CARD DESCRI BED IN § 3–301(C) OF THIS TITLE. 18
(6) “ENHANCED AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION S YSTEM” MEANS 19
A SYSTEM THAT , AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF EACH REAL ID TRANSACTION AT THE 20
MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION : 21
(I) DOES NOT ELECTRONICA LLY TRANSMIT THE VOT ER 22
REGISTRATION INFORMA TION OF AN APPLICANT TO THE STATE BOARD IF THE 23
APPLICANT HAS PRESEN TED A DOCUMENT AS PART O F THE REAL ID TRANSACTION 24
DEMONSTRATING THAT THE APPLICANT IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES 25
AT THE TIME OF THE REAL ID TRANSACTION ; 26
(II) ELECTRONICALLY TRANS MITS THE VOTER REGIS TRATION 27
INFORMATION NECESSAR Y TO UPDATE THE NAME OR ADDRESS OF A N APPLICANT 28
DIRECTLY TO THE STATE BOARD WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER THE REAL ID 29
TRANSACTION IF THE A PPLICANT IS CURRENTL Y REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE 30
STATE; 31
HOUSE BILL 1113 5
(III) ELECTRONICALLY TRANS MITS THE VOTER REGIS TRATION 1
INFORMATION OF AN AP PLICANT DIRECTLY TO THE STATE BOARD WITH IN 5 DAYS 2
AFTER THE REAL ID TRANSACTION IF THE A PPLICANT: 3
1. IS NOT CURRENTLY REG ISTERED TO VOTE IN T HE 4
STATE; 5
2. HAS PRESENTED A DOCU MENT AS PART OF THE REAL 6
ID TRANSACTION DEMONSTR ATING THAT THE APPLI CANT IS A CITIZEN OF THE 7
UNITED STATES; AND 8
3. HAS PROVIDED INFORMA TION AS PART OF THE REAL 9
ID TRANSACTION DEMONSTR ATING THAT THE APPLI CANT IS AT LEAST 16 YEARS 10
OLD AND IS A RESIDEN T OF THE STATE; AND 11
(IV) BEFORE ELECTRONICALL Y TRANSMITTING THE 12
APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO THE STATE BOARD UNDER 13
ITEM (II) OR (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , OFFERS THE APPLICANT THE OPPORTUNITY 14
TO SELECT A POLITICA L PARTY AFFILIATION . 15
(7) “ENHANCED AUTOMATIC VO TER REGISTRATION UPD ATE NOTICE” 16
MEANS A NOTICE IN A FORMAT PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE BOARD THAT: 17
(I) INCLUDES A STATEMENT EXPLAINING THAT THE 18
APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION HAS BEEN UPDATED , AND STATING THAT IF THE 19
UPDATE WAS IN ERROR , THE APPLICANT SHOULD CORRECT THE UPDATE ; 20
(II) ALLOWS THE APPLICANT TO CORRECT THE UPDAT E BY 21
MAKING AN APPROPRIAT E NOTATION AND RETURNING THE NOTICE POSTAGE 22
PREPAID; AND 23
(III) MAY BE COMBINED WITH A VOTER ACKNOWLEDGEM ENT 24
NOTICE OR VOTER NOTI FICATION CARD DESCRIBED IN § 3–301(C) OF THIS TITLE. 25
[(5)] (8) “Local department of social services” means: 26
(i) the local departments of social services in the Department of 27
Human Services; and 28
(ii) the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human 29
Services. 30
(9) (I) “REAL ID TRANSACTION ” MEANS A TRANSACTION AT THE 31
MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION FOR: 32 6 HOUSE BILL 1113
1. AN INITIAL APPLICATI ON FOR OR RENEWAL OF A 1
DRIVER’S LICENSE OR AN IDENTIFICATION CARD THAT IS COMPLIANT WI TH THE 2
FEDERAL REAL ID ACT; 3
2. A CHANGE OF NAME OR ADDRESS ON AN EXISTI NG 4
DRIVER’S LICENSE OR IDENTIF ICATION CARD THAT IS COMPLIANT WI TH THE 5
FEDERAL REAL ID ACT; OR 6
3. ANY OTHER TRANSACTIO N THAT IS COMPLIANT WI TH 7
THE FEDERAL REAL ID ACT IN WHICH THE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION 8
OBTAINS ALL THE INFO RMATION FROM AN APPL ICANT THAT SATISFIES THE 9
REQUIREMENTS TO REGI STER TO VOTE. 10
(II) “REAL ID TRANSACTION ” INCLUDES ANY TRANSAC TION 11
DESCRIBED IN SUBPARA GRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH TH AT IS COMPLETED 12
ONLINE. 13
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an automatic 14
voter registration agency shall implement an automatic voter registration system on or 15
before July 1, 2019. 16
(2) A local department of social services shall implement an automatic 17
voter registration system on or before December 1, 2019. 18
(3) THE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION SHALL IMPLEMENT AN 19
ENHANCED AUTO MATIC VOTER REGISTRA TION SYSTEM ON OR BE FORE JULY 1, 20
2027. 21
(c) An automatic voter registration system AND AN ENHANCED AUTO MATIC 22
VOTER REGISTRATION S YSTEM: 23
(1) may not require any information that duplicates the information 24
required to complete an applicable transaction OR A REAL ID TRANSACTION ; 25
(2) shall require only the minimum amount of information necessary for 26
both an applicable transaction OR A REAL ID TRANSACTION and a voter registration to: 27
(i) prevent duplicate voter registration; and 28
(ii) enable election officials to review the eligibility of an applicant 29
and to administer voter registration and other aspects of the election process; and 30
HOUSE BILL 1113 7
(3) shall inform an applicant that if the applicant does not select a political 1
party affiliation, the individual will be designated as not affiliated with a political party 2
and will be unable to vote in a party primary election. 3
(d) An agent of an automatic voter registration agency who is responsible for 4
carrying out the requirements of this section may not: 5
(1) seek to influence an applicant’s political preference or party 6
registration; 7
(2) display any political preference or party allegiance; or 8
(3) make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or 9
effect of which is to: 10
(i) discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or 11
(ii) lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register or not to 12
register has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits. 13
(E) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE P ROVIDED IN REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE 14
STATE BOARD, AN ENHANCED AUTOMATIC V OTER REGISTRATION SY STEM MAY NOT 15
ELECTRONICALLY TRANS MIT THE VOTER REGIST RATION INFORMATION OF AN 16
APPLICANT TO THE STATE BOARD IF THE APPLICAN T IS A PARTICIPANT I N THE 17
ADDRESS CONFIDENTIAL ITY PROGRAM UNDER TITLE 7, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE STATE 18
GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 19
(F) THE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION SHALL: 20
(1) IN ACCORDANCE WITH 6 C.F.R. §§ 37.13 AND 37.31, AND IN 21
CONSULTATION WITH TH E STATE BOARD, IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES TO RELIABLY 22
RECORD AND VALIDATE THE SPECIFIC DOCUMEN T THAT IS COMPLIANT WI TH THE 23
REAL ID ACT AND PRESENTED BY AN APPL ICANT FOR A REAL ID TRANSACTION ; 24
(2) PERIODICALLY REVIEW THE PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED UNDER 25
ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION ; AND 26
(3) NOTIFY THE STATE BOARD REGARDING CHANG ES TO TH E 27
PROCEDURES IMPLEMENTED UNDER ITEM (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 28
[(e)] (G) The State Board shall ensure that each individual whose voter 29
registration information is transmitted to the State Board through an automatic voter 30
registration system is promptly registered to vote. 31
8 HOUSE BILL 1113
(H) (1) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE P ROVIDED IN REGULATIO NS ADOPTED BY 1
THE STATE BOARD, THIS SUBSECTION DO ES NOT APPLY TO AN APPLICANT WHO IS A 2
PARTICIPANT IN: 3
(I) THE ADDRESS CONFIDENTIAL ITY PROGRAM UNDER TITLE 4
7, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE; OR 5
(II) THE PERSONAL INFORMATION CONFIDENTIALITY PROG RAM 6
UNDER COMAR 33.04.02.01 THROUGH 33.04.02.07. 7
(2) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE P ROVIDED IN REGULATIO NS ADOPTED BY 8
THE STATE BOARD, THE PROCEDURES REQUI RED IN THIS SUBSECTI ON DO NOT 9
APPLY WHEN VOTER REG ISTRATION IS CLOSED UNDER § 3–302 OF THIS TITLE. 10
(3) IF AN APPLICANT ’S VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION IS 11
TRANSMITTED TO THE STATE BOARD THROUGH AN ENHA NCED AUTOMATIC VOTER 12
REGISTRATION SYSTEM AND NO OTHER INFORMA TION INDICATES THAT THE 13
APPLICANT IS NOT QUA LIFIED TO BE A REGIS TERED VOTER , THE STATE BOARD 14
SHALL: 15
(I) IF THE APPLICANT IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 16
THE STATE AND HAS CHANGED THE APPLICANT ’S NAME OR ADDRESS : 17
1. ELECTRONICALLY ENTER THE APPLICANT ’S CHANGE 18
OF NAME OR ADDRESS I NTO THE STATEWIDE VO TER REGISTRATION LIS T; 19
2. SEND THE APPLICANT AN ENHANCED AUTOMATI C 20
VOTER REGISTRATION U PDATE NOTICE WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT 21
OF THE APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION FROM THE MOTOR 22
VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION ; AND 23
3. IF THE APPLICANT AFF IRMATIVELY CORRECTS THE 24
UPDATE IN WRITING , MODIFY THE APPLICANT ’S INFORMATION APPROP RIATELY IN 25
THE STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST ; 26
(II) IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT REG ISTERED TO VOTE : 27
1. SEND THE APPLICANT AN ENH ANCED AUTOMATIC 28
VOTER REGISTRATION N OTICE WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF THE 29
APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION I NFORMATION FROM THE MOTOR VEHICLE 30
ADMINISTRATION ; 31
HOUSE BILL 1113 9
2. IF THE APPLICANT DOE S NOT AFFIRMATIVELY 1
DECLINE TO BE REGIST ERED TO VOTE WITHIN 21 DAYS AFTER THE MAILI NG OF THE 2
ENHANCED AUTOMATIC V OTER REGIST RATION NOTICE, ELECTRONICALLY ENTER 3
THE APPLICANT ’S VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION INTO THE STATEWIDE 4
VOTER REGISTRATION L IST WITH ACTIVE VOTE R STATUS AND DEEM THE 5
APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION AS HAVING BEEN RECEIVED ON 6
THE DATE OF THE REAL ID TRANSACTION ; AND 7
3. IF THE APPLICANT AFF IRMATIVELY DECLINES TO BE 8
REGISTERED TO VOTE W ITHIN 21 DAYS AFTER THE MAILI NG OF THE ENHANCED 9
AUTOMATIC VOTER REGI STRATION NOTICE , CANCEL THE APPLICANT ’S VOTER 10
REGISTRATION INFORMA TION FROM THE STATEW IDE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST 11
AND DEEM THE APPLICANT TO HAVE NEVER REGISTERED TO VOTE O R ATTEMPTED 12
TO REGISTER TO VOTE . 13
[(f)] (I) If the State Board receives notice from an individual that the individual 14
was inadvertently registered to vote through an automatic voter registration agency after 15
declining to register to vote, the State Board shall correct the error in accordance with § 16
3–601.1 of this title. 17
[(g)] (J) Voter registration information or information relating to the decision of 18
an applicant at an automatic voter registration agency to decline to register to vote may 19
not be used for any purpose other than the maintenance of registration statistics, election 20
administration, or prosecution of criminal violations of the election law. 21
[(h)] (K) Notwithstanding § 3–501 of this title and § 4–401 of the General 22
Provisions Article, the identity of an automatic voter registration agency through which a 23
particular voter has registered may not be disclosed to the public. 24
(L) THE STATE BOARD MAY: 25
(1) IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL STATE, FEDERAL, OR LOCAL AGENCIES , 26
INCLUDING FEDERAL AG ENCIES THAT ADMINIST ER NATURALIZATION CE REMONIES, 27
THAT IN THE REGULAR COURSE OF BUSINESS RELIABLY VERIFY APPLICANTS ’ 28
CITIZENSHIP BY VERIF YING DOCUMENTS OR TH ROUGH AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE 29
MATCH; AND 30
(2) WITH THE CONSENT OF AN AGENCY IDENTIFIED UNDER ITEM (1) 31
OF THIS SUBSECTION , IMPLEMENT THE PROCED URES FOR EN HANCED AUTOMATIC 32
VOTER REGISTRATION I N ACCORDANCE WITH SU BSECTION (H) OF THIS SECTION. 33
(M) THE STATE BOARD MAY DELEGATE AN Y OF THE DUTIES ASSI GNED TO 34
THE STATE BOARD IN THIS SECTION TO THE LOCAL BOARDS . 35
10 HOUSE BILL 1113
[(i)] (N) The State Board may adopt regulations as necessary to implement this 1
section. 2
[(j)] (O) (1) Each automatic voter registration agency shall[: 3
(i) on or before July 1, 2019, submit a report, in accordance with § 4
2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the Senate Education, Health, and 5
Environmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Ways and Means that 6
describes: 7
1. the efforts of the automatic voter registration agency to 8
register voters in the preceding calendar year; and 9
2. the implementation of an automatic voter registration 10
system; and 11
(ii)] on or before [January 1, 2020, and] January 1 each [subsequent] 12
year, submit a report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the 13
Senate COMMITTEE ON Education, [Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee] 14
ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT and the House Committee on Ways and Means that 15
describes: 16
[1.] (I) the number of individuals who completed an 17
applicable transaction OR REAL ID TRANSACTION in the preceding calendar year at the 18
automatic voter registration agency and the number of those individuals who registered to 19
vote or updated a voter registration record; and 20
[2.] (II) any efforts the automatic voter registration agency 21
plans to make to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the voter registration process 22
at the agency. 23
(2) The Department of Human Services shall consolidate and submit the 24
reports required under paragraph [(1)(i) and (ii)] (1) of this subsection as a single document 25
on behalf of all the local departments of social services. 26
3–303. 27
(a) Notification of a change of party affiliation or a change to or from a decline 28
may be made: 29
(1) by information provided on a voter registration application by the same 30
methods provided for registration under Subtitle 2 of this title; 31
(2) by written notice, signed by the voter and sent by mail or otherwise 32
delivered to the local board in the county where the voter’s current voter registration 33
address is located or to which the voter has moved; 34 HOUSE BILL 1113 11
(3) by making application in person at the office of the local board in the 1
county where the voter’s current voter registration address is located or to which the voter 2
has moved; 3
(4) by information on a voter authority card or other appropriate form filled 4
out in a polling place; or 5
(5) by changing a name or address with the Motor Vehicle Administration. 6
(b) Party affiliation changes or changes to or from a decline: 7
(1) shall be processed at any time that registration is open; and 8
(2) except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, may not be processed 9
when registration is closed. 10
(c) If a local board receives a request for a party affiliation change after the close 11
of registration, the local board shall make the change and it shall become effective for the 12
next election provided: 13
(1) there is sufficient evidence, as determined by the local boards pursuant 14
to regulations adopted by the State Board, that the request was mailed on or before the 15
close of registration for that election; [or] 16
(2) the request was submitted by the voter to the Motor Vehicle 17
Administration, a voter registration agency, another local board, or the State Board on or 18
before the close of registration for that election; OR 19
(3) THE REQUEST WAS SUBM ITTED BY A VOTER: 20
(I) WHOSE VOTER R EGISTRATION INFORMAT ION WAS 21
TRANSMITTED TO THE STATE BOARD UNDER § 3–203(H)(3)(II) OF THIS TITLE; 22
(II) WHO HAS NOT AFFILIAT ED WITH A POLITICAL PARTY SINCE 23
THE TIME THE VOTER ’S VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION WAS SENT TO THE 24
STATE BOARD UNDER § 3–203(H)(3)(II) OF THIS TITLE; AND 25
(III) WHO MAKES THE REQUES T ON: 26
1. A VOTER AUTHORITY CA RD OR OTHER APPROPRI ATE 27
FORM FILLED OUT IN A POLLING PLACE ; OR 28
2. AN ABSENTEE BALLOT A PPLICATION. 29
12 HOUSE BILL 1113
3–503. 1
(a) If a voter fails to respond to a confirmation notice under § 3–502(c) of this 2
subtitle, the voter’s name shall be placed into inactive status on the statewide voter 3
registration list. 4
(b) A voter shall be restored to active status on the statewide voter registration 5
list after: 6
(1) completing and signing any of the following election documents: 7
[(1)] (I) a voter registration application; 8
[(2)] (II) a petition governed by Title 6 of this article; 9
[(3)] (III) a certificate of candidacy; 10
[(4)] (IV) an absentee ballot application; or 11
[(5)] (V) a written affirmation of residence completed on election day to 12
entitle the voter to vote either at the election district or precinct for the voter’s current 13
residence or the voter’s previous residence, as determined by the State Board; OR 14
(2) COMPLETING A REAL ID TRANSACTION THAT RES ULTS IN THE 15
TRANSMISSION OF VOTE R REGISTRATION INFOR MATION TO THE STATE BOARD 16
UNDER § 3–203(H)(3)(I) OF THIS TITLE. 17
(c) An inactive voter who fails to vote in an election in the period ending with the 18
second general election shall be removed from the statewide voter registration list. 19
(d) Registrants placed into inactive status may not be counted for official 20
administrative purposes including establishing precincts and reporting official statistics. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the report submitted by the 22
Motor Vehicle Administration on or before January 1, 2026, under § 3–203(o) of the Election 23
Law Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, is not required to include information on 24
the number of individuals who completed a REAL ID transaction in the immediately 25
preceding calendar year. 26
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2025. 28