SB 88 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Election Law - Municipal Elections - Administration

SB 88 authorizes Maryland's State Administrator of Elections to form voluntary agreements (memoranda of understanding) with local municipalities. These agreements would enable the state administrator to collaborate directly with cities and towns to support their election administration, such as providing resources or expertise. The bill modifies existing election law to add this new provision (Section 2-103(e)) without changing voting rules or requirements. It directly affects municipalities managing local elections and the State Administrator's office. The change is procedural, creating a formal mechanism for state-local collaboration in election operations.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2024

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Oct 23, 2024 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Election Law - State Administrator of Elections - Municipal Elections → Third - Election Law - Municipal Elections - Administration · 6 edits

MODERATE

SB 88 updates Maryland's election administration laws by expanding the State Administrator of Elections' authority to work with municipal corporations, allowing the State to lease voting equipment to municipalities, and adjusting deadlines for municipal ballot requests. The bill also clarifies that lease proceeds from voting systems must go to the Fair Campaign Financing Fund rather than county governing bodies.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from municipalities to include municipal corporations, and added new authority for the State Administrator to lease voting systems to municipalities.

SCOPE

Expanded authority to enter memoranda of understanding with municipal corporations (not just municipalities)

REQUIREMENT

Added new provision allowing State Administrator to lease voting systems to municipal corporations under memorandum of understanding

Added voter registration and voting to the list of election administration procedures municipalities must certify

Removed requirement for local boards to pay lease proceeds to county governing bodies within 30 days

FISCAL

Changed lease proceeds from voting systems to be distributed to Fair Campaign Financing Fund instead of county governing bodies

TIMELINE

Reduced deadline for municipalities to request ballot inclusion from 18 months to 9 months before filing deadline

Floor votes · Senate Feb 14, 2025

How they voted

44–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 46

Feb 14, 2025

D Democratic33

31 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican13

13 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

Referred Ways and Means

lower

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Feb 26, 2025

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Feb 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (44-0-2)

senate

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Oct 23, 2024

Introduced

Pre-filed

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors