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Bill

HB 67

Election Law - Absentee Ballots - Signature Requirements and Verification

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Steve Arentz and 10 co-sponsors

HB 67 establishes new signature verification protocols for Maryland absentee ballots to strengthen election security procedures and official authentication standards.

Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 67

Legislative bill overview

HB 67 modifies Maryland's absentee ballot signature verification procedures and requirements. The bill establishes new protocols for how election officials must handle and verify voter signatures on absentee ballots. Specific amendments to the signature verification process are designed to strengthen election security measures.

Why is this important

Absentee voting has grown significantly and now represents a substantial portion of ballots cast in elections. The verification procedures used to authenticate these ballots directly affect election integrity and voter confidence in results. Changes to these processes can have cascading effects on ballot processing timelines, election worker training, and potential dispute resolution.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation clarity: The bill's specific signature verification standards and whether they align with existing voter registration signature samples and database quality
  • Administrative burden: Additional or modified verification procedures may require more election staff training, resources, and processing time, potentially delaying results
  • Access vs. security tradeoff: Stricter verification could increase rejected ballots among eligible voters with signature variations (due to age, disability, or natural changes), raising fairness concerns

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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