General Assembly - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office

HB 174 proposes a constitutional amendment to change how vacancies in Maryland's General Assembly (Delegates/Senators) are filled. It requires a special election to occur simultaneously with the regular statewide primary and general elections in the second year of a term **if** the vacancy happens more than 55 days before the candidate filing deadline. If the vacancy occurs within 55 days of that deadline, the Governor appoints a replacement from the same political party who serves until the next election. This directly affects how Maryland's state legislative vacancies are resolved, impacting the Governor, political party committees, and voters in affected districts. (Note: This is a constitutional amendment proposal, not an enacted law.)