EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0052*
HOUSE BILL 52
G1, F1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 5lr1031
HB 373/24 – W&M (PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Vogel
Requested: October 1, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Voting Age – Board of Education Elections 2
(Your School, Your Voice Act) 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the General Assembly to provide by suitable enactment the 4
authority of a county to lower the age at which an individual may vote in an election 5
for members of an elected county board of education; authorizing, if authorized by 6
the county in which the individual is registered to vote, an individual under a certain 7
age to vote in an election for members of an elected county board of education; 8
authorizing a county to enact a local law that allows an individual who is at least a 9
certain age to vote in an election for members of an elected county board of education; 10
and generally relating to the age at which an individual may vote in board of 11
education elections. 12
BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 13
Article I – Elective Franchise 14
Section 1 15
BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 16
Article I – Elective Franchise 17
Section 1A 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Election Law 20
Section 3–102 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 23
BY adding to 24
Article – Election Law 25
Section 3–102.1 26 2 HOUSE BILL 52
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 4
proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 5
Article I – Elective Franchise 6
1. 7
All elections shall be by ballot. Except as provided in SECTION 1A, Section 2A, or 8
Section 3 of this article, every citizen of the United States, of the age of 18 years or upwards, 9
who is a resident of the State as of the time for the closing of registration next preceding 10
the election, shall be entitled to vote in the ward or election district in which the citizen 11
resides at all elections to be held in this State. [A person] AN INDIVIDUAL once entitled to 12
vote in any election district, shall be entitled to vote there until the [person] INDIVIDUAL 13
shall have acquired a residence in another election district or ward in this State. 14
1A. 15
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL HAVE T HE POWER TO PROVIDE BY SUITABLE 16
ENACTMENT THE AUTHOR ITY OF A COUNTY TO L OWER THE AGE AT WHIC H AN 17
INDIVIDUAL MAY VOTE IN AN ELECTION FOR T HE MEMBERS OF AN ELE CTED COUNTY 18
BOARD OF EDUCATION . 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 20
as follows: 21
Article – Election Law 22
3–102. 23
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an individual may 24
become registered to vote if the individual: 25
(i) is a citizen of the United States; 26
(ii) is at least 16 years old; 27
(iii) is a resident of the State as of the day the individual seeks to 28
register; and 29
(iv) registers pursuant to this title. 30
HOUSE BILL 52 3
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection, an individual 1
under the age of 18 years: 2
(i) may vote in a primary election in which candidates are 3
nominated for a general or special election that will occur when the individual is at least 4
18 years old; [and] 5
(ii) IF AUTHORIZED UNDER § 3–102.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE BY THE 6
COUNTY IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL IS REGIST ERED TO VOTE , MAY VOTE IN AN 7
ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF AN ELECTED COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION ; AND 8
(III) may not vote in any other election. 9
(b) An individual is not qualified to be a registered voter if the individual: 10
(1) has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a court–ordered 11
sentence of imprisonment for the conviction; 12
(2) is under guardianship for mental disability and a court of competent 13
jurisdiction has specifically found by clear and convincing evidence that the individual 14
cannot communicate, with or without accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting 15
process; or 16
(3) has been convicted of buying or selling votes. 17
3–102.1. 18
A COUNTY MAY ENACT A L OCAL LAW THAT ALLOWS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AT 19
LEAST 16 YEARS OLD TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION FOR MEMB ERS OF AN ELECTED 20
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUC ATION. 21
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 22
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 23
Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 24
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 25
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 26
Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 27
voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2026 for adoption or 28
rejection in accordance with Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general 29
election, the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on 30
each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment” and 31
“Against the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the 32
election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 33
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 34
proceedings had in accordance with Article XIV. 35 4 HOUSE BILL 52
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 2 of this Act is 1
contingent on the passage of Section 1 of this Act, a constitutional amendment, and its 2
ratification by the voters of the State. 3
SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to the provisions of 4
Section 5 of this Act, Section 2 of this Act shall take effect on the proclamation of the 5
Governor that the constitutional amendment, having received a majority of the votes cast 6
at the general election, has been adopted by the people of Maryland. 7