Municipal Elections - Reporting of Information to the State Board of Elections - Requirements, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                                  Ch. 522

Chapter 522

                   (Senate Bill 848)

AN ACT concerning

Municipal Elections – Reporting of Information on Candidates and Voting
Procedures and Locations to the State Board of Elections – Requirements

FOR the purpose of requiring a municipality to submit to the State Board of Elections the
         qualifications to be a candidate for each office on the ballot in a municipal election,
         the date of a special election and each office on the special election ballot, the list of
         qualified candidates for each office on the ballot in a municipal election, and certain
         information on voting procedures and locations in a municipal election on or before
         certain dates; requiring the State Board to post the information submitted by a
         municipality regarding a municipal election on the State Board’s website
         immediately on receipt; requiring a municipality that conducts its elections using
         ranked–choice voting to submit to the State Board the municipality’s regulations for
         the tabulation of ranked–choice ballots; requiring the State Board to publish the
         regulations submitted on the State Board’s website; and generally relating to
         municipal elections.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – Local Government
         Section 4–108.5
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement)

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

                   Article – Local Government

4–108.5.

(a) In this section, “State Board” means the State Board of Elections.

        (B) (1) (I) 1. ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 6 3 MONTHS
BEFORE THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE FOR A REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION,
THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE BOARD THE QUALIFICATIONS TO
BE A CANDIDATE FOR EACH OFFICE ON THE MUNICIPAL BALLOT.

                                 2. WITHIN 10 15 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER A SPECIAL
MUNICIPAL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL REPORT TO THE
STATE BOARD:

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Ch. 522  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

         A. THE DATE OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION;

         B. EACH OFFICE ON THE SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT;

AND

                                 C. THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR EACH
OFFICE ON THE SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT.

                         (II) IMMEDIATELY AFTER A MUNICIPALITY SUBMITS THE
INFORMATION REQUIRED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE
STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLISH THE INFORMATION ON THE STATE BOARD’S
WEBSITE.

                (2) (I) ON OR BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 1 WEEK 10 BUSINESS
DAYS AFTER THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE FOR A MUNICIPAL ELECTION,
INCLUDING A SPECIAL ELECTION, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE
BOARD:

                                 1. A LIST OF EACH QUALIFIED CANDIDATE FOR EACH
OFFICE ON THE MUNICIPAL BALLOT AND, IF THE ELECTION IS A PARTISAN
ELECTION, THE PARTY AFFILIATION OF EACH CANDIDATE; AND

                                 2. INFORMATION ON HOW TO VOTE AND WHERE TO VOTE
IN THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

                         (II) IMMEDIATELY AFTER A MUNICIPALITY SUBMITS THE
INFORMATION REQUIRED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE
STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLISH THE INFORMATION ON THE STATE BOARD’S
WEBSITE.

        [(b)] (C) (1) (I) The State Board shall, immediately after a municipality
submits its election results, publish the election results on the State Board’s website.

                [(2)] (II) The election results published under [paragraph (1)]
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) of this [subsection] PARAGRAPH shall be organized by election year
and the name of the municipality.

        [(c)] (2) Within 30 days after the results of a municipal election are certified,
the municipality shall submit to the State Board an electronic copy of the election results
for each office or question voted on at the election, including:

                [(1)] (I) vote totals for each office or question reported separately by each
of the following voting methods, if applicable:

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WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 522

                         [(i)] 1. in–person early voting;

                         [(ii)] 2. mail–in voting or vote–by–mail;

                         [(iii)] 3. provisional voting; and

                         [(iv)] 4. in–person election day voting; and

                [(2)] (II) if the municipality conducts partisan elections, the party
affiliation of each candidate.

        (D) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION, “RANKED–CHOICE VOTING” MEANS A

METHOD OF CASTING AND TABULATING VOTES IN WHICH VOTERS RANK CANDIDATES
IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE AND VOTES ARE TABULATED IN A MANNER THAT

REFLECTS VOTER PREFERENCE.

                (2) A MUNICIPALITY THAT CONDUCTS ITS ELECTIONS USING
RANKED–CHOICE VOTING SHALL SUBMIT TO THE STATE BOARD THE
MUNICIPALITY’S REGULATIONS FOR THE TABULATION OF RANKED–CHOICE
BALLOTS.

                (3) THE STATE BOARD SHALL PUBLISH THE REGULATIONS
SUBMITTED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION ON THE STATE BOARD’S
WEBSITE.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June
1, 2026.

Approved by the Governor, May 12, 2026.

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