Technology (Elections)

This bill requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to select, certify, and purchase a telephone voting system for absentee voters who have attested to having a print disability. The system must meet strict security standards, including ballot secrecy, accurate vote recording, voter identity authentication, and the ability to create a paper audit trail. Eligible voters will be placed on a special list and receive accessible communications with instructions and credentials to access the system, while the state will also run a public education campaign about the new voting option.

SB 727 authorizes Maryland municipalities to use secure electronic voting systems for local elections, directly affecting cities and towns conducting municipal elections. The bill defines a "qualified electronic transmission system" as one with strict security features like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, paper ballot backups, and biometric ID verification to protect voter data and election integrity. It prohibits municipalities from using any voter information collected through these systems for purposes beyond election administration or tracking voter participation. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all municipal elections in Maryland.

HB 1066 authorizes Maryland municipalities to conduct local elections using secure electronic voting systems that meet strict security standards. The bill defines a "qualified electronic transmission system" as one with end-to-end encryption, verifiability, biometric ID verification, and paper record backup. Municipalities may use these systems for elections but are prohibited from using voter data collected through them for any purpose beyond election administration or voter participation statistics. This bill directly affects local governments in Maryland planning to adopt electronic voting methods for municipal elections, effective July 1, 2026.

HB 499, the "Ballot Petition Modernization Act," modernizes Maryland's petition process by requiring the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for secure voter data handling and electronic signatures. It establishes clear rules for collecting and verifying electronic signatures on petitions, including accessibility standards for voters with disabilities and requirements for circulators to confirm signature validity. The bill updates signature collection procedures, removes outdated prohibitions on electronic signatures, and specifies how voter data must be stored securely to prevent misuse. This directly affects petition circulators, candidates gathering signatures, and voters whose registration data is used in the process.

SB 236 requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to create regulations for reviewing, certifying, and removing certification of election-supporting technology - such as ranked-choice vote tabulation tools, risk-limiting audit software, and electronic pollbooks - by December 2026. The bill mandates that the State Board annually review and evaluate this technology starting January 1, 2027, to ensure it meets safety and accuracy standards. This directly affects technology vendors developing election tools and local election offices using these systems. The law does not cover voting machines themselves but focuses on supporting software and equipment used in election administration.