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SB0236 • 2026

Election Law - Certification of Election-Supporting Technology - Regulations, Review, and Evaluation

Election Law - Certification of Election-Supporting Technology - Regulations, Review, and Evaluation

Elections Technology
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Senator Kagan
Last action
2026-02-09
Official status
In the Senate - Hearing 2/11 at 2:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Election Law - Certification of Election-Supporting Technology - Regulations, Review, and Evaluation

Requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for the review, certification, and decertification of election-supporting technology and to review and evaluate election-supporting technology on or before January 1 each year; and requiring that the regulations be adopted by December 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for the review, certification, and decertification of election-supporting technology and to review and evaluate election-supporting technology on or before January 1 each year; and requiring that the regulations be adopted by December 1, 2026.

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. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Hearing canceled

  2. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Hearing 2/11 at 2:00 p.m.

  3. 2026-01-16 Senate

    Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.

  4. 2026-01-15 Senate

    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

  5. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Election Law - Certification of Election-Supporting Technology - Regulations, Review, and Evaluation

Official Summary Text

Requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for the review, certification, and decertification of election-supporting technology and to review and evaluate election-supporting technology on or before January 1 each year; and requiring that the regulations be adopted by December 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0236*

SENATE BILL 236
G1 6lr1092
CF 6lr1093
By: Senator Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 15, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Election Law – Certification of Election–Supporting Technology – Regulations, 2
Review, and Evaluation 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for the 4
review, certification, and decertification of election –supporting technology and to 5
review and evaluate election–supporting technology on or before a certain date each 6
year; and generally relating to the certification of election–supporting technology. 7

BY adding to 8
Article – Election Law 9
Section 9–107 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – Election Law 15

9–107. 16

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOG Y” 17
MEANS ANY EQUIPMENT OR TECHNOLOGY THAT IS: 18

(I) COMPATIBLE WITH A ME THOD OF CASTING AND 19
TABULATING VOTES IN WHICH VOTERS RANK CA NDIDATES IN ORDER OF 20
PREFERENCE AND VOTES ARE TABULATED IN A M ANNER THAT REFLECTS VO TER 21
PREFERENCE; AND 22

(II) DESIGNED FOR USE IN THE ADMINISTRATION O F 23
2 SENATE BILL 236

ELECTIONS, INCLUDING: 1

1. ELECTRONIC POLLBOOKS; 2

2. RISK–LIMITING AUDIT TOOLS; AND 3

3. ANY SOFTWARE USED FOR PREPARING, PRESENTING, 4
OR REPORTING THE RESULTS PRODUCED BY A VOTING SYSTEM. 5

(2) “ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOG Y” DOES NOT INCLUDE A 6
VOTING SYSTEM. 7

(B) THE STATE BOARD SHALL: 8

(1) ADOPT REGULATIONS: 9

(I) FOR THE REVIEW , CERTIFICATION, AND DECERTIFICATION 10
OF ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY; AND 11

(II) RELATING TO REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTION–SUPPORTING 12
TECHNOLOGY SELECTED AND CERTIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION; AND 13

(2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1 EACH YEAR , BEGINNING IN 2027, 14
REVIEW AND EVALUATE ELECTION–SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY. 15

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the State Board of Elections 16
shall adopt the regulations required under § 9–107 of the Election Law Article, as enacted 17
by Section 1 of this Act, on or before December 1, 2026. 18

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 19
1, 2026. 20