EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0257*
SENATE BILL 257
G1 5lr0169
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 199
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – State Board of Elections)
Requested: September 18, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 11, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Notice to Permanent Absentee Voters 2
FOR the purpose of altering the time before an election when a certain notice is required 3
to be sent to each voter who is on the permanent absentee ballot list; repealing a 4
requirement that the notice be sent to each voter who is on the permanent absentee 5
ballot list as of a certain date; altering the action the State Board of Elections is 6
required to take if the State Board is unable to contact a voter who is on the 7
permanent absentee ballot list using the method of communication chosen by the 8
voter; and generally relating to permanent absentee voters. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Election Law 11
Section 9–311.1(d) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Election Law 16
Section 9–311.1(g) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
2 SENATE BILL 257
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Election Law 3
9–311.1. 4
(d) A voter shall specify in an absentee ballot application submitted in accordance 5
with subsection (b) of this section: 6
(1) one of the following methods by which the voter chooses to receive an 7
absentee ballot: 8
(i) mail; 9
(ii) facsimile transmission; or 10
(iii) the Internet; and 11
(2) one of the following methods by which the voter chooses to be contacted 12
by the State Board under subsection (g) of this section before each election: 13
(i) nonforwardable mail; 14
(ii) e–mail; or 15
(iii) text message. 16
(g) (1) [Not less than 75] DURING THE PERIOD BEG INNING 120 DAYS 17
BEFORE AN ELECTION A ND ENDING 90 days before [the day on which a local board begins 18
to send absentee ballots to voters] THE ELECTION, the State Board shall send a written 19
communication to each voter who is on the permanent absentee ballot list [as of a date that 20
is at least 90 days before the upcoming election] using the method chosen by the voter 21
under subsection (d)(2) of this section. 22
(2) The communication required under paragraph (1) of this subsection 23
shall include: 24
(i) confirmation that the voter is included on the permanent 25
absentee ballot list; 26
(ii) the address of the voter; 27
(iii) the method by which the voter has chosen to receive an absentee 28
ballot; and 29
SENATE BILL 257 3
(iv) a statement that the voter must notify the local board if any of 1
the changes listed in subsection (j) of this section have occurred. 2
(3) If the State Board is unable to contact a voter using the method of 3
communication chosen by the voter under subsection (d)(2) of this section, the State Board 4
shall [send the written communication] ATTEMPT TO CONTACT T HE VOTER using 5
another method [if the State Board has other contact information for the voter]. 6
(4) If the communication required under paragraph (1) of this subsection 7
is sent by mail, the envelope shall include a statement, prominently placed, requesting that 8
the recipient return the communication to the State Board if the intended recipient no 9
longer lives at that address. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, that this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2025. 12
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.