Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB115 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 01/02/2025

                             
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *hb0115*  
  
HOUSE BILL 115 
G1   	5lr1508 
HB 142/24 – W&M 	(PRE–FILED)   
By: Delegate R. Long 
Requested: October 30, 2024 
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025 
Assigned to: Ways and Means 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Election Law – Polling Places – Establishing Voter Identity  2 
(Voter Privacy Act of 2025) 3 
 
FOR the purpose of authorizing a voter to establish the voter’s identity at the request of an 4 
election judge at a polling place by presenting certain proof of identity; and generally 5 
relating to establishing a voter’s identity at a polling place. 6 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7 
 Article – Election Law 8 
Section 10–310(a) 9 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 10 
 (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 
 
Article – Election Law 14 
 
10–310. 15 
 
 (a) For each individual who seeks to vote, an election judge, in accordance with 16 
instructions provided by the local board, shall: 17 
 
 (1) locate the individual’s name in the election register and locate the 18 
preprinted voting authority card and then authorize the individual to vote a regular ballot; 19 
 
 (2) (i) if the individual’s name is not found on the election register, 20 
search the inactive list and if the name is found, authorize the individual to vote a regular 21 
ballot; or 22 
  2 	HOUSE BILL 115  
 
 
 (ii) if the individual’s name is not on the inactive list, refer the 1 
individual for provisional ballot voting under § 9–404 of this article; 2 
 
 (3) establish the identity of the voter by requesting the voter to: 3 
 
 (I) state the month and day of the voter’s birth and comparing the 4 
response to the information listed in the election register; OR 5 
 
 (II) PRESENT ANY OF THE F	OLLOWING FORMS OF 6 
IDENTIFICATION : 7 
 
 1. THE VOTER’S VOTER REGISTRATION CARD; 8 
 
 2. THE VOTER’S VALID MARYLAND DRIVER ’S LICENSE; 9 
OR 10 
 
 3. ANY IDENTIFICATION C ARD THAT CONTAINS A 11 
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE VO TER AND IS ISSUED TO THE VOTER BY A POLIT ICAL 12 
SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNME NT, OR ANY UNIT 13 
OF A POLITICAL SUBDI VISION OF THE STATE, THE STATE, OR THE FEDERAL 14 
GOVERNMENT ; 15 
 
 (4) (i) except if a voter’s personal information has been deemed 16 
confidential by the local board, verify the address of the voter’s residence; or 17 
 
 (ii) conduct an alternative verification as established by the State 18 
Board, if the voter’s personal information has been deemed confidential by the local board; 19 
 
 (5) if any changes to the voting authority card are indicated by a voter, 20 
make the appropriate changes in information on the card or other appropriate form; and 21 
 
 (6) have the voter sign the voting authority card and either issue the voter 22 
a ballot or send the voter to a machine to vote. 23 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24 
October 1, 2025. 25