On Tuesday, April 22, HB 322 was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore and went into effect immediately.

This session, MML worked with Senator Cheryl Kagan and Delegate Greg Wims to introduce legislation in response to the State Board of Elections' (SBE) declaration in the fall of 2024 that SBE does not have the legal authority to enter agreements with municipalities to lease voting equipment or provide other support. Those bills were Senate Bill 88 and House Bill 322.

House Bill 322 received its final vote for passage around 8:30 p.m. on the final day of session, Sine Die. As emergency legislation, this new law went into effect as soon as it was signed by the Governor. As amended, the bill also shortens the amount of lead time required to join the State ballot from 18 months to 9 months.

If your municipality has historically received any support (beyond a copy of the voter rolls) from your local Board of Elections, please reach out to them ASAP to better understand the process moving forward. 

If you have any questions about the legislation, please contact Justin Fiore, Deputy Director for Advocacy and Public Affairs, at [email protected].