HB0621 • 2026

Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Delegates D. Jones , Lehman , Pruski , and Tomlinson
Last action: 2026-04-28
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 256
Effective date: Upon Enact

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

What This Bill Does

Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-28 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 256
2026-04-02 Senate
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-03-22 House
Returned Passed
2026-03-19 Senate
Third Reading Passed (43-0)
2026-03-16 Senate
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-02 House
Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
2026-02-23 House
Third Reading Passed (109-20)
2026-02-22 House
Favorable Adopted
2026-02-22 House
Second Reading Passed
2026-02-22 Senate
Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
2026-02-03 House
Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-30 House
First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Government, Labor, and Elections
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Official Summary Text

Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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.
*hb0621*

HOUSE BILL 621
G1 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr1956
CF SB 443
By: Delegates D. Jones, Lehman, Pruski, and Tomlinson
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Local Boards of Elections – Board Counsel – Qualifications 2

FOR the purpose of altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections ; and 3
generally relating to local boards of elections. 4

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Election Law 6
Section 2–201(a)(1) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Election Law 11
Section 2–205(a) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Election Law 17

2–201. 18

(a) (1) There is a county board of elections in each county of the State. 19
2 HOUSE BILL 621

2–205. 1

(a) Each local board may appoint or retain as counsel an individual who is: 2

(1) a registered voter of [its county] THE STATE; and 3

(2) admitted to practice law in the State. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 5
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 6
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 7
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 8
enacted. 9

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