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*sb0670*
SENATE BILL 670
G1 (6lr1896)
ENROLLED BILL
— Education, Energy, and the Environment/Government, Labor, and Elections —
Introduced by Senator Kagan
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.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Local Board of Elections Employees – Authority at Polling 2
Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers – Revisions 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a police officer who is on duty at a polling place to obey the 4
authority of a local board of elections employee the State Administrator or the State 5
Administrator’s designee, the Deputy State Administrator, or a local election director 6
or the local election director’s designee; providing that local board employees, while 7
serving, in a polling place, certain persons individuals have the authority to keep 8
the peace and order the arrest of certain persons; authorizing requiring a local board 9
employees election director, while serving in a polling place, to protect certain rights 10
of, challengers and watchers; authorizing a local election director, while serving in a 11
polling place, to deny admission of, and eject certain challengers and watchers from 12
a polling place under certain circumstances; altering the types of persons that may 13
designate a registered voter as an accredited challenger or watcher at each polling 14
place; authorizing certain persons to designate accredited challengers or watchers at 15
2 SENATE BILL 670
early voting centers and canvassing locations; ; altering the persons that may 1
designate a registered voter as an observer at each counting center; and generally 2
relating to the authority of local board employees persons at polling places , early 3
voting centers, and counting centers. 4
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 5
Article – Election Law 6
Section 10–304 and, 10–311(d) and (e) 10–311, and 11–301(a–1)(2) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Election Law 11
Section 10–307.1 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – Election Law 16
Section 11–301(a–1)(1) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Election Law 22
10–304. 23
(a) (1) A police officer who is on duty at a polling place shall obey the order of 24
an election judge for that polling place OR A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOY EE, THE STATE 25
ADMINISTRATOR OR THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR’S DESIGNEE, THE DEPUTY STATE 26
ADMINISTRATOR, OR A LOCAL ELECTION DIRECTOR OR THE LOCAL ELECTION 27
DIRECTOR’S DESIGNEE. 28
(2) A police officer making an arrest under an order of an election judge OR 29
A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOY EE, THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR OR THE STATE 30
ADMINISTRATOR’S DESIGNEE, THE DEPUTY STATE ADMINISTRATOR, OR A LOCAL 31
ELECTION DIRECTOR OR THE LOCAL ELECTIO N DIRECTOR ’S DESIGNEE is fully 32
protected in so doing as if the police officer received a valid warrant to make the arrest. 33
(b) A police officer who is on duty at a polling place shall protect a challenger or 34
watcher in the discharge of the duties of the challenger or watcher. 35
10–307.1. 36
SENATE BILL 670 3
(A) WHILE SERVING IN IN A POLLING PLACE , A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOY EE 1
THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR OR THE STATE ADMINISTRATOR’S DESIGNEE , THE 2
DEPUTY STATE ADMINISTRATOR, OR A LOCAL ELECTION DIRECTOR OR THE LOCAL 3
ELECTION DIRECTOR’S DESIGNEE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO: 4
(1) KEEP THE PEACE; AND 5
(2) ORDER THE ARREST OF ANY PERSON WHO: 6
(I) BREACHES THE PEACE; 7
(II) BREACHES ANY PROVISION OF THIS ARTICLE; OR 8
(III) INTERFERES WITH THE WORK OF THE ELECTION JUDGES IN 9
CONDUCTING THE ELECTION AND CARRYING OUT THEIR ASSIGNED TASKS. 10
(B) (1) WHILE SERVING IN A POLLING PLACE, A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE 11
ELECTION DIRECTOR MAY SHALL PROTECT A CHALLENGER OR WATCHER IN THE 12
EXERCISE OF THE RIGH TS OF A CHALLENGER O R WATCHER AS PROVIDE D IN § 13
10–311 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 14
(2) (I) A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE ELECTION DIRECTOR IS NOT 15
REQUIRED TO ADMIT A CHALLENGER OR WATCHER TO A POLLING PLACE BEFORE 16
THE POLLS OPEN IF TH E CHALLENGER OR WATC HER WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE 17
POLLING PLACE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES BEFORE ITS OPENING. 18
(II) A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE ELECTION DIRECTOR MAY 19
REQUIRE CHALLENGERS AND WATCHERS TO LEAV E A POLLING PLACE BE FORE IT 20
OPENS IF THE LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE ELECTION DIRECTOR HAS REASON TO 21
BELIEVE THAT THE PRE SENCE OF THE CHALLEN GERS AND WATCHERS WI LL 22
PREVENT THE TIMELY OPENING OF THE POLLING PLACE. 23
(C) A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE ELECTION DIRECTOR MAY EXERCISE THE 24
AUTHORITY UNDER SUBSECTIONS (A) AND (B) OF THIS SECTION INDE PENDENT OF 25
AN ELECTION JUDGE ASSIGNED TO THE POLLING PLACE. 26
10–311. 27
(a) (1) The following persons [or entities ] have the right to designate a 28
registered voter as [a] AN ACCREDITED challenger or a watcher at each POLLING place 29
[of registration and election], OR EARLY VOTING CENTER, AND CANVASSING LOCATION: 30
4 SENATE BILL 670
(i) the State Board for any [polling place] LOCATION in the State; 1
(ii) a local board for any [polling place located ] LOCATION in the 2
county of the local board; 3
(iii) a candidate FOR ANY LOCATION WHERE THE CANDIDATE IS 4
INCLUDED ON THE BALLOT; 5
(iv) a political party; [and] 6
(v) [any other group of voters supporting or opposing a candidate, 7
principle, or proposition on the ballot] A POLITICAL COMMITTEE; AND 8
(VI) A PERSON REQUIRED TO FILE REPORTS UNDER § 13–306 OR 9
§ 13–307 OF THIS ARTICLE. 10
(2) A person who appoints [a] AN ACCREDITED challenger or watcher may 11
remove the challenger or watcher at any time. 12
(b) Except as provided in § 10–303(d)(2) of this subtitle and subsection (d) of this 13
section, [a] AN ACCREDITED challenger or watcher [has the right to] MAY: 14
(1) enter the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENT ER one–half hour 15
before the polls open; 16
(2) enter or be present at the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER at 17
any time when the polls are open; 18
(3) remain in the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENT ER until the 19
completion of all tasks associated with the close of the polls under § 10–314 of this subtitle 20
and the election judges leave the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER; 21
(4) maintain a list of registered voters who have voted, or individuals who 22
have cast provisional ballots, and take the list outside of the polling place OR EARLY 23
VOTING CENTER; and 24
(5) enter and leave a polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENT ER for the 25
purpose of taking outside of the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER information that 26
identifies registered voters who have cast ballots or individuals who have cast provisional 27
ballots. 28
(c) (1) (i) A certificate signed by [any party or candidate] A DESIGNATING 29
PERSON shall be sufficient evidence of the right of [a] AN ACCREDITED challenger or 30
watcher to be present in the voting room OR CANVASSING ROOM. 31
SENATE BILL 670 5
(ii) The State Board shall prescribe a form that shall be supplied to 1
the ACCREDITED challenger or watcher by the DESIGNATING person [or entity 2
designating the challenger or watcher]. 3
(III) A DESIGNATING PERSON S HALL SUBMIT A COPY O F THE 4
CERTIFICATE OF AN ACCREDITED CHALLENGER OR WATCHER TO THE APPROPRIATE 5
LOCAL BOARD BEFORE T HE ACCREDITED CH ALLENGER OR WATCHER MAY ENTER 6
THE VOTING ROOM OR CANVASSING ROOM. 7
(2) A challenger or watcher shall be positioned near the election judges and 8
inside the voting room so that the challenger or watcher may see and hear each person as 9
the person offers to vote. 10
(d) (1) A challenger or watcher may not attempt to: 11
(i) ascertain how a voter voted or intends to vote; 12
(ii) converse in the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER with 13
any voter; 14
(iii) assist any voter in voting; or 15
(iv) physically handle an original election document OR VOTING 16
EQUIPMENT. 17
(2) An election judge OR A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE ELECTION 18
DIRECTOR may eject a challenger or watcher who violates the prohibitions under 19
paragraph (1) of this subsection. 20
(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, an 21
election judge shall [permit] ALLOW an individual other than an accredited challenger or 22
watcher who desires to challenge the right to vote of any other individual to enter the 23
polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER for that purpose. 24
(2) A majority of the election judges OR A LOCAL BOARD EMPLOYEE 25
ELECTION DIRECTOR may limit the number of nonaccredited challengers and watchers 26
allowed in the polling place OR EARLY VOTING CENTER at any one time for the purpose 27
of challenging the right of an individual to vote. 28
(3) A nonaccredited challenger or watcher shall leave the polling place OR 29
EARLY VOTING CENTER as soon as a majority of the election judges OR A LOCAL BOARD 30
EMPLOYEE ELECTION DIRECTOR decides the right to vote of the individual challenged 31
by the challenger or watcher. 32
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(4) In addition to restrictions provided under this subsection, all 1
restrictions on the actions of an accredited challenger or watcher provided under this 2
subtitle apply to a nonaccredited challenger or watcher. 3
11–301. 4
(a–1) (1) Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, a board of canvassers and 5
the staff of a local board may be observed as they complete each part of the canvass by 6
authorized observers designated under paragraph (2) of this subsection and any other 7
individuals who wish to be present. 8
(2) The following [individuals or entities ] PERSONS have the right to 9
designate a registered voter as an observer at each counting center: 10
(i) a candidate FOR A NY COUNTY WHERE THE CANDIDATE IS 11
INCLUDED ON THE BALLOT; 12
(ii) a political party; [and] 13
(iii) [any other group of voters supporting or opposing a candidate, 14
principle, or proposition on the ballot] A POLITICAL COMMITTEE; AND 15
(IV) A PERSON REQUIRED TO FILE REPORTS UNDER § 13–306 OR 16
§ 13–307 OF THIS ARTICLE. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 18
1, 2026. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.