EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDE D TO EXISTING LAW .
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0383*
SENATE BILL 383
G1 5lr0778
CF HB 215
By: Senator Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Elections – Ranked–Choice Voting in Contests for Presidential Nomination and 2
Certification of Election–Supporting Technology 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the State Board of Elections, beginning with a certain 4
statewide primary election, to use ranked–choice voting to conduct a contest for the 5
nomination by a political party of a candidate for the office of President of the United 6
States; requiring the State Board to develop and pay the cost of a certain voter 7
education campaign under certain circumstances; requiring the State Board to adopt 8
regulations for the review, certification, and decertification of election–supporting 9
technology and to periodically review and evaluate election–supporting technology; 10
and generally relating to ranked–choice voting and the certification of 11
election–supporting technology. 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Election Law 14
Section 8–206 and 9–107 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Election Law 20
8–206. 21
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “RANKED–CHOICE VOTIN G” MEANS A METHOD OF 22
CASTING AND TABULATI NG VOTES IN WHICH VO TERS RANK CANDIDATES IN ORDER 23
OF PREFERENCE AND VO TES ARE TABULATED IN A MANNER THAT REFLEC TS VOTER 24
PREFERENCE . 25 2 SENATE BILL 383
(B) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER PROVISION OF TH IS ARTICLE, 1
BEGINNING WITH THE 2028 STATEWIDE PRIMARY EL ECTION, THE STATE BOARD 2
MAY USE RANKED –CHOICE VOTING TO CON DUCT A CONTEST FOR T HE NOMINATION 3
BY A POLITICAL PARTY OF A CANDIDATE FOR T HE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE 4
UNITED STATES. 5
(C) (1) IF THE STATE BOARD USES RANKED –CHOICE VOTING UN DER 6
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 7
(I) DEVELOP AND PAY THE COST OF A VOTER EDUC ATION 8
CAMPAIGN TO INFORM V OTERS ABOUT RANKED –CHOICE VOTING ; 9
(II) SHARE THE VOTER EDUC ATION CAMPAIGN DEVEL OPED 10
UNDER ITEM (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH WI TH THE LOCAL BOARDS ; AND 11
(III) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2029, SUBMIT A REPORT TO T HE 12
GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 13
ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDE S: 14
1. A REVIEW OF THE USE OF RANKED–CHOICE VOTING 15
DURING THE 2028 STATEWIDE PRIMARY EL ECTION; AND 16
2. RECOMMENDATIONS REGA RDING THE 17
IMPLEMENTATION AND E XPANSION OF RANKED –CHOICE VOTING IN FUT URE 18
ELECTIONS. 19
(2) THE REPORT UNDER PARA GRAPH (1)(III) OF THIS SUBSECTION 20
SHALL BE: 21
(I) DISTRIBUTED TO THE LOCAL BOARDS ; AND 22
(II) POSTED ON THE STATE BOARD’S WEBSITE. 23
9–107. 24
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOG Y” 25
MEANS ANY EQUIPMENT OR TECHNOLOGY THAT I S DESIGNED FOR USE I N THE 26
ADMINISTRATION OF EL ECTIONS, INCLUDING: 27
(I) ELECTRONIC POLLBOOKS; 28
(II) RISK–LIMITING AUDIT TOOLS ; AND 29 SENATE BILL 383 3
(III) ANY SOFTWARE USED FO R PREPARING , PRESENTING, OR 1
REPORTING THE RESULT S PRODUCED BY A VOTI NG SYSTEM. 2
(2) “ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOG Y” DOES NOT INCLUDE A 3
VOTING SYSTEM . 4
(B) THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 5
(1) ADOPT REGULATIONS : 6
(I) FOR THE REVIEW , CERTIFICATION , AND DECERTIFICATION 7
OF ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOG Y; AND 8
(II) RELATING TO REQUIREM ENTS FOR ELECTION –SUPPORTING 9
TECHNOLOGY SELECTED AND CERTIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND 10
(2) PERIODICALLY REVIEW AND EVALUATE ELECTIO N–SUPPORTING 11
TECHNOLOGY . 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2025. 14