Election Law - Early Voting Centers - Bus Stops

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*hb0263*

HOUSE BILL 263
G1 6lr0082
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 100
By: Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee (By Request –
Departmental – State Board of Elections)
Requested: September 30, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 18, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Bus Stops 2

FOR the purpose of requiring buses operating on certain fixed local routes to allow 3
passengers to embark and disembark at the entrance of early voting centers located 4
within a certain distance of the route; and generally relating to early voting. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Election Law 7
Section 10–301.1(c) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Election Law 12
Section 10–301.1(e) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Election Law 17
Section 10–301.1(e), (f), and (g) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
2 HOUSE BILL 263

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

10–301.1. 4

(c) Each early voting center shall be open for voting as follows: 5

(1) beginning the second Thursday before a primary or general election 6
through the Thursday before the election; and 7

(2) during the hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. each early voting day. 8

(E) (1) (I) THIS SUBSECTION APPLI ES ONLY WITH RESPECT TO A 9
FIXED LOCAL BUS ROUTE FUNDED BY A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION AND 10
OPERATED BY THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OR A CONTRACTOR FOR 11
THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION. 12

(II) THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 13

1. AN EXPRESS OR A COMM UTER BUS ROUTE THAT HAS 14
LIMITED STOPS BETWEEN ITS ORIGIN AND DESTINATION; 15

2. A BUS ROUTE OPERATED BY THE MARYLAND TRANSIT 16
ADMINISTRATION; OR 17

3. A BUS ROUTE OPERATED BY THE WASHINGTON 18
METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY. 19

(2) IF AN EARLY VOTING CE NTER IS LOCATED WITH IN ONE–HALF 20
MILE OF A FIXED LOCAL BUS ROUTE, EACH BUS OPERATING ON THAT ROUTE SHALL, 21
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTEN T PRACTICABLE AND CO NSISTENT WITH ACCESS IBILITY 22
REQUIREMENTS, ALLOW PASSENGERS TO EMBARK AND DISEMBARK AT THE 23
ENTRANCE OF THE EARLY VOTING CENTER ON THE DAYS THE CENTER IS OPEN FOR 24
VOTING UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 25

[(e)] (F) Beginning 30 days prior to each early voting period the State Board and 26
each local board shall undertake steps to inform the public about early voting and the 27
location of early voting centers in each county, including: 28

(1) a series of public service media announcements; 29

(2) mailings to all registered voters in each county; and 30
HOUSE BILL 263 3

(3) other measures as appropriate. 1

[(f)] (G) Except as expressly provided in this section, any provision of this article 2
that applies to voting on election day also applies to early voting. 3

[(g)] (H) The State Board shall adopt regulations and guidelines in accordance 4
with the requirements of this section for the conduct of early voting. 5

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 6
January 1, 2027. 7

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.