Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*hb1448*
HOUSE BILL 1448
G1, L3 (6lr2824)
ENROLLED BILL
— Government, Labor, and Elections/Education, Energy, and the Environment —
Introduced by Delegate Tomlinson
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _____ __________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
Speaker.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Municipal Elections – Reporting of Information on Candidates and Voting 2
Procedures and Locations to the State Board 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a municipality to submit to the State Board of Elections the 4
qualifications to be a candidate for each office on the ballot in a municipal election, 5
the date of a special election and each office on the special election ballot, the list of 6
qualified candidates for each office on the ballot in a municipal election, and certain 7
information on voting procedures and locations in a municipal election on or before 8
certain dates; requiring the State Board to pos t the information submitted by a 9
municipality regarding a municipal election on the State Board’s website 10
immediately on receipt; requiring a municipality that conducts its elections using 11
ranked–choice voting to submit to the State Board the municipality’ s regulations for 12
the tabulation of ranked –choice ballots; requiring the State Board to publish the 13
regulations submitted on the State Board’s website; and generally relating to 14
municipal elections. 15
2 HOUSE BILL 1448
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Local Government 2
Section 4–108.5 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Local Government 8
4–108.5. 9
(a) In this section, “State Board” means the State Board of Elections. 10
(B) (1) (I) 1. ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 6 3 MONTHS 11
BEFORE THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE FOR A REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION, 12
THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE BOARD THE QUALIFICATIONS TO 13
BE A CANDIDATE FOR EACH OFFICE ON THE MUNICIPAL BALLOT. 14
2. WITHIN 10 15 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER A SPECIAL 15
MUNICIPAL ELECTION I S SCHEDULED, THE MUNICIPALITY SHA LL REPORT TO THE 16
STATE BOARD: 17
A. THE DATE OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION; 18
B. EACH OFFICE ON THE S PECIAL ELECTION BALL OT; 19
AND 20
C. THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR EACH 21
OFFICE ON THE SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT. 22
(II) IMMEDIATELY AFTER A MUNICIPALITY SUBMITS THE 23
INFORMATION REQUIRED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE 24
STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLISH T HE INFORMATION ON TH E STATE BOARD’S 25
WEBSITE. 26
(2) (I) ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 1 WEEK 10 BUSINESS 27
DAYS AFTER THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE FOR A MUNIC IPAL ELECTION , 28
INCLUDING A SPECIAL ELECTION, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE 29
BOARD: 30
HOUSE BILL 1448 3
1. A LIST OF EACH QUALI FIED CANDIDATE FOR E ACH 1
OFFICE ON THE MUNICI PAL BALLOT AND, IF THE ELECTION IS A PARTISAN 2
ELECTION, THE PARTY AFFILIATION OF EACH CANDIDATE; AND 3
2. INFORMATION ON HOW TO VOTE AND WHERE TO VOTE 4
IN THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION. 5
(II) IMMEDIATELY AFTER A M UNICIPALITY SUBMITS THE 6
INFORMATION REQUIRED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE 7
STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLI SH THE INFORMATION O N THE STATE BOARD’S 8
WEBSITE. 9
[(b)] (C) (1) (I) The State Board shall, immediately after a municipality 10
submits its election results, publish the election results on the State Board’s website. 11
[(2)] (II) The election results published under [paragraph (1) ] 12
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) of this [subsection] PARAGRAPH shall be organized by election year 13
and the name of the municipality. 14
[(c)] (2) Within 30 days after the results of a municipal election are certified, 15
the municipality shall submit to the State Board an electronic copy of the election results 16
for each office or question voted on at the election, including: 17
[(1)] (I) vote totals for each office or question reported separately by each 18
of the following voting methods, if applicable: 19
[(i)] 1. in–person early voting; 20
[(ii)] 2. mail–in voting or vote–by–mail; 21
[(iii)] 3. provisional voting; and 22
[(iv)] 4. in–person election day voting; and 23
[(2)] (II) if the municipality conducts partisan el ections, the party 24
affiliation of each candidate. 25
(D) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION , “RANKED–CHOICE VOTING ” MEANS A 26
METHOD OF CASTING AND TABULATING VOTES IN WHICH VOTERS RANK CANDIDATES 27
IN ORDER OF PREFEREN CE AND VOTES ARE TAB ULATED IN A MANNER T HAT 28
REFLECTS VOTER PREFERENCE. 29
(2) A MUNICIPALITY THAT CO NDUCTS ITS ELECTIONS USING 30
RANKED–CHOICE VOTING SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE BOARD THE 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1448
MUNICIPALITY’S REGULATIONS FOR TH E TABULATION OF RANK ED–CHOICE 1
BALLOTS. 2
(3) THE STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLISH T HE REGULATIONS 3
SUBMITTED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION O N THE STATE BOARD’S 4
WEBSITE. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 6
1, 2026. 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.