HB1066 • 2026

Municipal Elections - Qualified Electronic Transmission Systems - Authorization for Use

Elections

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Lehman , Kerr , Taveras , and Terrasa
Last action: 2026-02-11
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-07-01

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 - Qualified Electronic Transmission Systems - Authorization for Use

Authorizing a municipality to conduct a municipal election through the use of a qualified electronic transmission system; and prohibiting a municipality from using information received from a voter using a qualified electronic transmission system for certain purposes.

What This Bill Does

Authorizing a municipality to conduct a municipal election through the use of a qualified electronic transmission system; and prohibiting a municipality from using information received from a voter using a qualified electronic transmission system for certain purposes.

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

2026-02-11 House
Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-09 House
First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Municipal Elections - Qualified Electronic Transmission Systems - Authorization for Use

Official Summary Text

Authorizing a municipality to conduct a municipal election through the use of a qualified electronic transmission system; and prohibiting a municipality from using information received from a voter using a qualified electronic transmission system for certain purposes.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1066*

HOUSE BILL 1066
G1, L3 6lr3394
CF SB 727
By: Delegates Lehman, Kerr, Taveras, and Terrasa
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Municipal Elections – Qualified Electronic Transmission Systems – 2
Authorization for Use 3

FOR the purpose of authorizing a municipality to conduct a municipal election through the 4
use of a qualified electronic transmission system; prohibiting a municipality from 5
using information received from a voter using a qualified electronic transmission 6
system for certain purposes; and generally relating to the use of qualified electronic 7
transmission systems in municipal elections. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Local Government 10
Section 4–107.1 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Local Government 16

4–107.1. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “QUALIFIED ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ” 18
MEANS AN ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM THROUGH WHICH A QUAL IFIED 19
VOTER MAY RECEIVE , MARK, AND RETURN A BALLOT AND THAT MAINTAINS 20
REASONABLE DATA SECURITY AND VOTER INTEGRITY PROTECTIONS, INCLUDING: 21

(1) SECURITY AUDITABILITY; 22

(2) END–TO–END ENCRYPTION; 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1066

(3) END–TO–END VERIFIABILITY; 1

(4) MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION; 2

(5) AIR–GAPPING; 3

(6) A PROCESS FOR PRINTI NG DECRYPTED BALLOTS TO CREATE A 4
PAPER RECORD; AND 5

(7) BIOMETRIC OR EQUIVAL ENT DIGITAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION 6
TECHNOLOGIES. 7

(B) A MUNICIPALITY MAY CONDUCT A MUNICIPAL ELECTION THROUGH THE 8
USE OF A QUALIFIED ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. 9

(C) A MUNICIPALITY MAY NOT USE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM A VOTER 10
USING A QUALIFIED ELECTRON IC TRANSMISSION SYST EM IN A MUNICIPAL 11
ELECTION FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN ELECTION ADMINISTRATION AND VOTER 12
PARTICIPATION STATISTICS. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2026. 15