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SB0443 • 2026

Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senators Carozza , Kagan , Hershey , and Mautz
Last action
2026-04-28
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 257
Effective date
Upon Enact

Plain English Breakdown

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

Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

What This Bill Does

  • Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

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. 2026-04-28 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 257

  2. 2026-04-11 House

    Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections

  3. 2026-04-01 House

    Third Reading Passed (115-18)

  4. 2026-03-27 House

    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

  5. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Returned Passed

  6. 2026-03-24 House

    Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.

  7. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

  8. 2026-03-01 House

    Referred Government, Labor, and Elections

  9. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (45-0)

  10. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  11. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  12. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.

  13. 2026-01-30 Senate

    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

  14. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Education, Energy, and the Environment

  16. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Government, Labor, and Elections

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

Official Summary Text

Altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections to require that counsel be a registered voter of the State instead of the applicable county.

Current Bill Text

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.
*sb0443*

SENATE BILL 443
G1 EMERGENCY BILL 6lr2901
CF HB 621
By: Senators Carozza, Kagan, Hershey, and Mautz
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Local Boards of Elections – Board Counsel – Qualifications 2

FOR the purpose of altering the qualifications for counsel to local boards of elections; and 3
generally relating to local boards of elections. 4

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Election Law 6
Section 2–201(a)(1) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Election Law 11
Section 2–205(a) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL AS SEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Election Law 17

2–201. 18

(a) (1) There is a county board of elections in each county of the State. 19
2 SENATE BILL 443

2–205. 1

(a) Each local board may appoint or retain as counsel an individual who is: 2

(1) a registered voter of [its county] THE STATE; and 3

(2) admitted to practice law in the State. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 5
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 6
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three –fifths of all the members elected to 7
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 8
enacted. 9

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.