Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0830*
HOUSE BILL 830
G1 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr1211
By: Delegates R. Long, Arentz, Baker, Chisholm, Griffith, Hornberger,
Hutchinson, Jacobs, Miller, T. Morgan, Reilly, Tomlinson, and Valentine
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Absentee Ballots – Signature Requirements and Verification 2
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a local board of elections from removing an absentee ballot 3
from a return envelope or ballot/return envelope or counting the ballot unless the 4
return envelope or ballot/return envelope is signed by the voter and, except under 5
certain circumstances, a witness and the local board verify the voter’s signature; and 6
generally relating to absentee ballots. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Election Law 9
Section 9–303 and 9–310(a)(5) and (c) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Election Law 14
Section 9–310.1 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Election Law 20
9–303. 21
(a) The State Board shall establish guidelines for the administration of absentee 22
voting by the local boards. 23
2 HOUSE BILL 830
(b) The guidelines shall provide for: 1
(1) the application process; 2
(2) late application for absentee ballots; 3
(3) ballot security, including storage of returned ballots; 4
(4) determining timeliness of receipt of applications and ballots, including 5
applications and ballots for overseas voters; 6
(5) the canvass process; 7
(6) notice of the canvass to candidates, political parties, campaign 8
organizations, news media, and the general public; 9
(7) observers of the process; 10
(8) review of voted ballots and envelopes for compliance with the law and 11
for machine tabulation acceptability; 12
(9) standards for disallowance of ballots during the canvass; 13
(10) storage and retention of ballots following canvass and certification; 14
[and] 15
(11) the permanent absentee ballot list; AND 16
(12) VERIFICATION OF SIGN ATURES ON ABSENTEE BALLOT 17
ENVELOPES. 18
(c) The State Board shall: 19
(1) in consultation with the local boards, assess the guidelines before each 20
primary election; and 21
(2) revise the guidelines if indicated. 22
9–310. 23
(a) (5) When voted and returned to the local board, an absentee ballot shall be 24
enclosed in a ballot envelope or ballot/return envelope, on which has been printed [an oath] 25
OATHS prescribed by the State Board. 26
(c) If an absentee ballot is sent by the Internet or facsimile transmission, the local 27
board shall provide the voter with an envelope template, the [oath] OATHS prescribed by 28
HOUSE BILL 830 3
the State Board, and instructions for marking and returning the absentee ballot. 1
9–310.1. 2
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “UNIFORMED SERVICES” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED 3
IN 10 U.S.C. § 101. 4
(B) A LOCAL BOARD MAY NOT REMOVE AN ABSENTEE B ALLOT FROM THE 5
RETURN ENVELOPE OR B ALLOT/RETURN ENVELOPE OR C OUNT THE BALLOT 6
UNLESS: 7
(1) THE RETURN ENVELOPE OR BALLOT /RETURN ENVELOPE IS 8
SIGNED BY: 9
(I) THE VOTER TO WHOM THE BALLOT WAS ISSUED; AND 10
(II) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, 11
A WITNESS OTHER THAN THE VOTER TO WHOM THE BALLOT WAS ISSUED; AND 12
(2) THE VOTER ’S SIGNATURE IS VERIF IED AS PROVIDED IN 13
SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION. 14
(C) THE WITNESS SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(1)(II) 15
OF THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO AN ABSE NTEE BALLOT THAT IS VOTED AND 16
RETURNED BY: 17
(1) AN ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES WHO IS 18
SERVING OVERSEAS; OR 19
(2) THE SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT OF AN ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE 20
UNIFORMED SERVICES WHO IS SERVING OVERSEAS IF THE SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT 21
LIVES OVERSEAS. 22
(D) EACH LOCAL BOARD SHALL VERIFY THE SIGNATURE OF THE VOTER ON 23
THE RETURN ENVELOPE OR BALLOT /RETURN ENVELOPE BY C OMPARING THE 24
SIGNATURE WITH THE V OTER’S REGISTRATION RECOR D IN ACCORDANCE WITH 25
REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE STATE BOARD. 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before the date that is 27
1 year after the date on which this Act becomes effective, each local board of elections shall 28
obtain technology capable of verifying the signature of a voter on the return envelope or 29
ballot/return envelope under § 9–310.1 of the Election Law Article as enacted by Section 1 30
of this Act. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 830
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 1
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 2
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 3
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 4
enacted. 5