Election Law - Election Judges - Compensation for Public School Students

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0662*

HOUSE BILL 662
G1 6lr1829

By: Delegates D. Jones and Chang
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Election Law – Election Judges – Compensation for Public School Students 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing a public school student in the State both to earn hours 3
toward the service –learning graduation requirement and to receive election judge 4
compensation for service as an election judge; and generally relating to compensation 5
for public school students serving as election judges. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Election Law 8
Section 10–205(b) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Election Law 13
Section 10–205(d) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Election Law 19

10–205. 20

(b) (1) (i) The county governing body shall provide sufficient funding to 21
meet the minimum compensation levels required under this section. 22

2 HOUSE BILL 662

(ii) Within the limits authorized by the county governing body, a 1
local board may fix the compensation of election judges above the minimum compensation 2
levels required under this section. 3

(2) A local board shall pay an election judge for: 4

(i) subject to paragraph (4)(ii) of this subsection, each course of 5
instruction required under § 10–206(g)(1) of this subtitle that the election judge completes; 6
and 7

(ii) each election day and each early voting day that the election 8
judge actually serves. 9

(3) (i) For each election judge who is not a returning election judge, the 10
compensation for each election day and each early voting day actually served shall be at 11
least $250 per day. 12

(ii) For each returning election judge, the compensation for each 13
election day and each early voting day actually served shall be at least $100 more per day 14
than the compensation provided to an election judge who is not a returning election judge. 15

(4) (i) The compensation for each completed course of instruction 16
required under § 10–206(g)(1) of this subtitle shall be at least $50. 17

(ii) A local board shall pay an election judge the compensation 18
required under paragraph (2)(i) of this subsection only after the election judge actually 19
serves an election day or early voting day. 20

(d) For service as an election judge, a public school student in the State may 21
BOTH: 22

(1) earn hours toward the service –learning requirement for gradu ation 23
under COMAR 13A.03.02.05; [or] AND 24

(2) receive the election judge compensation under this section. 25

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2026. 27