Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB647 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0647
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 647
8	8	G1 5lr2951
9	9	CF HB 710
10	10	By: Senator Muse
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Election Law – Incarcerated Individuals – Voter Hotline and Voting Eligibility 2
19	19	(Voting Rights for All Act) 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Elections to provide a certain voter hotline 4
22	22	for incarcerated individuals; altering the circumstances under which an individual 5
23	23	is not qualified to be a registered voter for the purpose of allowing individuals 6
24	24	convicted of a felony and serving a court–ordered sentence of imprisonment for the 7
25	25	conviction to register to vote; and generally relating to a voting hotline and voting 8
26	26	eligibility for incarcerated individuals. 9
27	27
28	28	BY adding to 10
29	29	Article – Election Law 11
30	30	Section 1–306 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
33	33
34	34	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
35	35	Article – Election Law 16
36	36	Section 3–102 and 3–504(a) 17
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 18
38	38	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
39	39
40	40	BY repealing 20
41	41	Article – Election Law 21
42	42	Section 16–202 22
43	43	Annotated Code of Maryland 23
44	44	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 24
45	45
46	46	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 25
47	47	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 26
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 647
49	49
50	50
51	51	Article – Election Law 1
52	52
53	53	1–306. 2
54	54
55	55	(A) THE STATE BOARD SHALL PROVIDE A TOLL–FREE VOTER HOTLINE F OR 3
56	56	INCARCERATED INDIVID UALS TO RECEIVE INFORMATI ON ABOUT VOTING , REQUEST 4
57	57	ELECTION–RELATED MATERIALS , AND REPORT VOTING RI GHTS VIOLATIONS . 5
58	58
59	59	(B) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REG ULATIONS IN COLLABOR ATION 6
60	60	WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES AND 7
61	61	CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES FOR THE A DMINISTRATION OF THE VOTER HOTLINE . 8
62	62
63	63	3–102. 9
64	64
65	65	(a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an individual may 10
66	66	become registered to vote if the individual: 11
67	67
68	68	(i) is a citizen of the United States; 12
69	69
70	70	(ii) is at least 16 years old; 13
71	71
72	72	(iii) is a resident of the State as of the day the individual seeks to 14
73	73	register; and 15
74	74
75	75	(iv) registers pursuant to this title. 16
76	76
77	77	(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection, an individual 17
78	78	under the age of 18 years: 18
79	79
80	80	(i) may vote in a primary election in which candidates are 19
81	81	nominated for a general or special election that will occur when the individual is at least 20
82	82	18 years old; and 21
83	83
84	84	(ii) may not vote in any other election. 22
85	85
86	86	(b) An individual is not qualified to be a registered voter if the individual: 23
87	87
88	88	(1) [has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a court–ordered 24
89	89	sentence of imprisonment for the conviction; 25
90	90
91	91	(2)] is under guardianship for mental disability and a court of competent 26
92	92	jurisdiction has specifically found by clear and convincing evidence that the individual 27
93	93	cannot communicate, with or without accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting 28
94	94	process; or 29
95	95
96	96	[(3)] (2) has been convicted of buying or selling votes. 30 SENATE BILL 647 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	3–504. 1
101	101
102	102	(a) (1) (i) Information from the agencies specified in this paragraph shall 2
103	103	be reported to the State Administrator in a format and at times prescribed by the State 3
104	104	Board. 4
105	105
106	106	(ii) The Maryland Department of Health shall report the names and 5
107	107	residence addresses (if known) of all individuals at least 16 years of age reported deceased 6
108	108	within the State since the date of the last report. 7
109	109
110	110	(iii) [Each month, the clerk of the circuit court for each county and 8
111	111	the administrative clerk for each District Court shall report the names and addresses of all 9
112	112	individuals convicted, in the respective court, of a felony and sentenced to imprisonment 10
113	113	with commitment papers. 11
114	114
115	115	(iv)] The clerk of the circuit court for each county shall report the 12
116	116	former and present names and residence addresses (if known) of all individuals whose 13
117	117	names have been changed by decree or order of the court since the date of the last report. 14
118	118
119	119	(2) [The State Administrator shall make arrangements with the clerk of 15
120	120	the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to receive reports of names 16
121	121	and addresses, if available, of individuals convicted of a felony in that court and sentenced 17
122	122	to imprisonment with commitment papers. 18
123	123
124	124	(3)] The State Administrator shall make arrangements with the United 19
125	125	States Social Security Administration or an entity that receives information from the Social 20
126	126	Security Administration and is approved by the State Administrator to receive reports of 21
127	127	names and addresses, if available, of all Maryland residents at least 16 years of age who 22
128	128	are reported deceased. 23
129	129
130	130	[16–202. 24
131	131
132	132	(a) A person who has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a 25
133	133	court–ordered sentence of imprisonment for the conviction, and has been rendered 26
134	134	ineligible to vote pursuant to § 3–102(b) of this article, may not vote or attempt to vote 27
135	135	during the time that the person is rendered ineligible to vote. 28
136	136
137	137	(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and is subject to 29
138	138	imprisonment for not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years.] 30
139	139
140	140	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 31
141	141	October 1, 2025. 32
142	142
143	143