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HB0708 • 2026

Municipal Elections - Voter Registration - List and Qualifications

Municipal Elections - Voter Registration - List and Qualifications

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Delegates Grammer , Arikan , Chisholm , Fisher , M. Morgan , Nawrocki , and Szeliga
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
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.

Municipal Elections - Voter Registration - List and Qualifications

Requiring each municipality to require voter registration for its elections; and prohibiting an individual from becoming registered to vote in a municipal election if the individual is not a citizen of the United States.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring each municipality to require voter registration for its elections; and prohibiting an individual from becoming registered to vote in a municipal election if the individual is not a citizen of the United States.

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

  1. 2026-02-03 House

    Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-02-02 House

    First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Municipal Elections - Voter Registration - List and Qualifications

Official Summary Text

Requiring each municipality to require voter registration for its elections; and prohibiting an individual from becoming registered to vote in a municipal election if the individual is not a citizen of the United States.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0708*

HOUSE BILL 708
G1, L3 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr0935
HB 680/25 – W&M
By: Delegates Grammer, Arikan, Chisholm, Fisher, M. Morgan, Nawrocki, and
Szeliga
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Municipal Elections – Voter Registration – List and Qualifications 2

FOR the purpose of requiring each municipality to require vote r registration for its 3
elections; prohibiting an individual from becoming registered to vote in a municipal 4
election if the individual is not a citizen of the United States; and generally relating 5
to voter registration in municipal elections. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Election Law 8
Section 3–402 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Election Law 13
Section 3–403(a) and (g) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Local Government 18
Section 4–108.6 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAN D, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Election Law 24

2 HOUSE BILL 708

3–402. 1

This subtitle does not apply to a municipal corporation that: 2

(1) [does not require voter registration for its elections; 3

(2)] prior to January 1, 1990, used the voter registry supplied by the local 4
board as qualification for voting in municipal elections; or 5

[(3)] (2) provides for the local board to conduct municipal elections. 6

3–403. 7

(a) A voter residing in a municipal corporation is considered to be registered f or 8
elections in that municipal corporation if the voter is included on the statewide voter 9
registration list at an address within the municipal corporation. 10

(g) This section may not be construed to prohibit a municipal corporation from 11
administering and maintaining a supplemental list of those individuals who are not on the 12
statewide voter registration list but who may otherwise be qualified to register to vote with 13
the municipal corporation. 14

Article – Local Government 15

4–108.6. 16

(A) EACH MUNICIPALITY S HALL REQUIRE VOTER R EGISTRATION FOR ITS 17
ELECTIONS. 18

(B) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BECOME REGISTERED TO VOTE IN A 19
MUNICIPAL ELECTION IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 21
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 22
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 23
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from th e date it is 24
enacted. 25