EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0323*
SENATE BILL 323
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By: Senator Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 15, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Statewide Voter Registration Application – Prepaid Postage 2
FOR the purpose of requiring that a statewide voter registration application include a 3
return envelope or envelope template with prepaid postage that an applicant may 4
use to return the application to the State Board of Elections; and generally relating 5
to prepaid postage for the statewide voter registration application. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Election Law 8
Section 3–202 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
3–202. 15
(a) (1) The statewide voter registration application shall: 16
(i) require the signature of the applicant, subject to the penalties of 17
perjury, by which the applicant swears or affirms that the information contained in the 18
registration application is true and that the applicant meets all of the qualifications to 19
become a registered voter; 20
(ii) state the penalties for the submission of a false application; and 21
(iii) provide the applicant with the opportunity to cancel a current 22
registration. 23 2 SENATE BILL 323
(2) The following information shall be made available to each applicant 1
who is completing a statewide voter registration application: 2
(i) the qualifications to become a registered voter; 3
(ii) if an individual declines to register, this fact will remain 4
confidential and be used only for voter registration purposes; 5
(iii) if an individual registers to vote, the office at which the 6
application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration 7
purposes; and 8
(iv) notification to the applicant that submission of the form to an 9
individual other than an official, employee, or agent of a local board does not assure that 10
the form will be filed or filed in a timely manner. 11
(3) The statewide voter registration application may not require: 12
(i) notarization or other formal authentication; or 13
(ii) any additional information, other than the information 14
necessary to enable election officials to determine the eligibility of the applicant and to 15
administer voter registration and other parts of the election process. 16
(4) In the section of the statewide voter registration application that asks 17
the voter whether the voter wants to affiliate with a political party, the application shall 18
list the recognized political parties in the State and include the following statement: “You 19
must register with a political party if you want to take part in that political party’s primary 20
election, caucus, or convention. Check one box only.”. 21
(5) (i) A statewide voter registration application shall be produced 22
exclusively by the State Board. 23
(ii) No other registration form may be used for registration purposes 24
except: 25
1. a voter registration application produced by a local board 26
with the approval of the State Board; 27
2. as provided in subsection (b) of this section; 28
3. as provided in [§ 3–203(b)] § 3–203 of this subtitle; 29
4. any other form prescribed by federal law for voter 30
registration; or 31
SENATE BILL 323 3
5. a federal write–in absentee ballot if used by a voter 1
authorized to vote a federal write–in absentee ballot under federal law. 2
(b) The voter registration application form prescribed pursuant to the National 3
Voter Registration Act of 1993 shall satisfy the requirements prescribed under subsection 4
(a) of this section and be accepted by the appropriate election official for purposes of voter 5
registration. 6
(c) The application described in this section may be used by a registered voter to 7
change the voter’s name, address, or party affiliation. 8
(D) (1) A STATEWIDE VOTER REGI STRATION APPLICATION SHALL 9
INCLUDE A RETURN ENV ELOPE OR ENVELOPE TE MPLATE WITH PREPAID POSTAGE 10
THAT THE APPLICANT M AY USE TO RETURN THE APPLICATION TO THE STATE 11
BOARD. 12
(2) A STATEWIDE VOTER REGI STRATION APPLICATION SHALL BE 13
ACCOMPANIED BY INSTR UCTIONS FOR POSTAG E, INCLUDING: 14
(I) A STATEMENT THAT THE RETURN ENVELOPE OR E NVELOPE 15
TEMPLATE INCLUDES PR EPAID POSTAGE AND MA Y BE MAILED AS IS; AND 16
(II) DIRECTIONS FOR HOW AN APPLICANT MAY ATTACH 17
POSTAGE FOR THE PURP OSE OF REDUCING THE COSTS OF THE LOCAL B OARD. 18
(3) RETURN ENVELOPES OR E NVELOPE TEMPLATES SH ALL BE 19
PREPRINTED WITH THE ADDRESS OF THE STATE BOARD FOR PURPOSES OF 20
RETURNING THE STATEW IDE VOTER REGISTRATI ON APPLICATION . 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 22
1, 2025. 23