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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1163*
HOUSE BILL 1163
G1, F1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 6lr0894
By: Howard County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Howard County – Voting Age – Board of Education Elections 2
Ho. Co. 5–26 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the General Assembly to lower the age at which an 4
individual may vote in an election for members of the Howard County Board of 5
Education; altering the minimum age at which an individual in Howard County may 6
vote in an election for members of the Howard County Board of E ducation; and 7
generally relating to the voting age for Howard County Board of Education elections. 8
BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 9
Article I – Elective Franchise 10
Section 1 11
BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 12
Article I – Elective Franchise 13
Section 1A 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Election Law 16
Section 3–102 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Election Law 21
Section 3–102.1 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1163
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 2
proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 3
Article I – Elective Franchise 4
1. 5
All elections shall be by ballot. Except as provided in SECTION 1A, Section 2A, or 6
Section 3 of this article, every citizen of the United States, of the age of 18 years or upwards, 7
who is a resident of the State as of the time for the closing of registration next preceding 8
the election, shall be entitled to vote in the ward or electi on district in which the citizen 9
resides at all elections to be held in this State. [A person] AN INDIVIDUAL once entitled to 10
vote in any election district, shall be entitled to vote there until the [person] INDIVIDUAL 11
shall have acquired a residence in another election district or ward in this State. 12
1A. 13
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL HAVE T HE POWER TO LOWER TH E AGE AT 14
WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY VOTE IN AN ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOWARD 15
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 17
as follows: 18
Article – Election Law 19
3–102. 20
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an individual may 21
become registered to vote if the individual: 22
(i) is a citizen of the United States; 23
(ii) is at least 16 years old; 24
(iii) is a resident of the State as of the day the individual seeks to 25
register; and 26
(iv) registers pursuant to this title. 27
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection, an individual 28
under the age of 18 years: 29
HOUSE BILL 1163 3
(i) may vote in a primary election in which candidates are 1
nominated for a general or special election that will occur when the individual is at least 2
18 years old; [and] 3
(II) IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 3–102.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE , MAY 4
VOTE IN AN ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOWARD COUNTY BOARD OF 5
EDUCATION; AND 6
[(ii)] (III) may not vote in any other election. 7
(b) An individual is not qualified to be a registered voter if the individual: 8
(1) has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a court–ordered 9
sentence of imprisonment for the conviction; 10
(2) is under guardianship for mental disability and a court of competent 11
jurisdiction has specifically found by clear and convincing evidenc e that the individual 12
cannot communicate, with or without accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting 13
process; or 14
(3) has been convicted of buying or selling votes. 15
3–102.1. 16
(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY IN HOWARD COUNTY. 17
(B) AN INDIVIDUA L WHO IS AT LEAST 16 YEARS OLD MAY VOTE I N AN 18
ELECTION FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOWARD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. 19
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 20
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 21
Act affects only one county and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 22
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments apply. 23
SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 24
Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 25
voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2026 for adoption or 26
rejection in accordance with Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general 27
election, the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on 28
each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment ” and 29
“Against the Constitutional Amendment ”, as now provided by law. Immediately after th e 30
election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 31
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 32
proceedings held in accordance with Article XIV. 33
4 HOUSE BILL 1163
SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER E NACTED, That Section 2 of this Act is 1
contingent on the passage of Section 1 of this Act, a constitutional amendment, and its 2
ratification by voters of the State. 3
SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to the provisions of 4
Section 5 of this Act, Section 2 of this Act shall take effect on the proclamation of the 5
Governor that the constitutional amendment, having received a majority of the votes cast 6
at the general election, has been adopted by the people of Maryland. 7