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.
*sb0308*
SENATE BILL 308
G1 5lr1406
By: Senator Simonaire Senators Simonaire, Brooks, and Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 13, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Chief Election Judges – Party Affiliation 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the election director of a local board of elections to designate 3
chief election judges from certain political parties to each polling place except under 4
certain circumstances; and generally relating to the party affiliation of chief election 5
judges. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Election Law 8
Section 10–201 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Election Law 13
Section 10–203(a) and (b) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
Article – Election Law 19
10–201. 20 2 SENATE BILL 308
(a) (1) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, each 1
local board shall provide at least four election judges to be the staff for each polling place. 2
(ii) In a precinct with fewer than 200 registered voters, the local 3
board may provide two election judges for that precinct’s polling place. 4
(2) An election judge shall be appointed in accordance with the 5
requirements of § 10–203 of this subtitle. 6
(b) (1) Except as provided in [paragraph] PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) of this 7
subsection, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE , each polling place shall have an equal 8
number of election judges, INCLUDING CHIEF JUDG ES DESIGNATED UNDER § 10–203 9
OF THIS SUBTITLE, from: 10
(i) the majority party; and 11
(ii) the principal minority party. 12
(2) [(i)] If the total number of election judges for a precinct is six or more: 13
[1.] (I) a local board may provide one or more election 14
judges who are not registered with either the majority party or principal minority political 15
party; and 16
[2.] (II) a local board may provide one or more election 17
judges who are minors. 18
[(ii) The number of election judges provided under this paragraph 19
may not exceed the lesser of: 20
1. the number of election judges who belong to the majority 21
party; or 22
2. the number of election judges who belong to the principal 23
minority party.] 24
(3) (I) THIS PARAGRAPH APPLIE S IF AN ELECTION DIR ECTOR IS 25
UNABLE TO DESIGNATE CHIEF JUDGES FOR A P OLLING PLACE AT LEAS T 45 DAYS 26
BEFORE THE START OF EARLY VOTING. 27
(II) IF AN ELECTION DIRECT OR DESIGNATING TWO C HIEF 28
JUDGES FOR A POLLING PLACE UNDER § 10–203 OF THIS SUBTITLE IS UNABLE TO 29
DESIGNATE THE CHIEF JUDGES IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 30
SUBSECTION, AN ELECTION DIRECTOR SHALL DESIGNATE : 31
SENATE BILL 308 3
1. ONE CHIEF JUDGE FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY OR 1
THE PRINCIPAL MINORI TY POLITICAL PARTY ; AND 2
2. ONE CHIEF JUDGE WHO IS NOT REGISTERED WI TH 3
EITHER THE MAJORITY PARTY OR THE PRINCIP AL MINORITY POLITICA L PARTY. 4
10–203. 5
(a) The election director, with the approval of the local board, shall appoint the 6
election judges for each polling place for a term that begins on the Tuesday that is 13 weeks 7
before each statewide primary election. 8
(b) One or two election judges in each precinct shall: 9
(1) be designated chief judge; and 10
(2) supervise the staff at the polling place. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2025. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.