Bill
SB 929
A time‑limited workgroup will review mail‑in ballot returns for accessibility, studying secure, feasible alternatives to paper‑only returns for voters with disabilities.
Status snapshot
- Title: Workgroup on Mail‑In Ballot Accessibility (SB 929)
- Introduced: January 2025
- Committee: Education, Energy, and the Environment; cross‑file HB 1097 (Ways and Means)
- Hearing noted: March 26 (2:15 p.m.)
- Effective date (if enacted): June 1, 2025; bill sunsets June 30, 2026
- Reporting deadline: Workgroup report due to Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2025
Purpose and intent
- Create a time‑limited, multi‑stakeholder workgroup to review mail‑in (absentee) ballot return processes with an emphasis on access for voters with disabilities, and to identify secure, feasible, and nondiscriminatory alternatives to requiring ballot returns in paper form.
Key provisions
- Establishes the Workgroup on Mail‑In Ballot Accessibility with members including:
- One state senator and one delegate (appointed by legislative leaders)
- State Administrator of Elections; Secretary of Information Technology; Secretary of Disabilities (or designees)
- Director of Governor’s Office of Homeland Security; State Chief Information Security Officer; representatives from the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland and University of Maryland, Baltimore County (or designees)
- Executive Director of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council; President of the Maryland Association of Election Officials (or designees)
- Governor‑appointed representatives from stakeholder organizations (examples: Common Cause Maryland; League of Women Voters; National Federation of the Blind; Arc of Maryland; Disability Rights Maryland; Association of the Deaf), a multilingual individual with election administration expertise, and independent experts in voting accessibility, election security, and cybersecurity
- Governor designates the chair. The State Board of Elections (SBE) provides staff support.
- Members receive no compensation but are eligible for travel/expense reimbursement per State travel rules.
- Workgroup duties include:
- Examining state mail‑in ballot return processes (administrative time/costs, return rates, security)
- Assessing impacts on voters with disabilities of paper‑only return requirements
- Collecting information on accessible alternatives used elsewhere
- Evaluating alternatives considering accessibility, security (and mitigation options), potential discrimination, voter privacy and independence, cost, and implementation feasibility
- Consulting with subject matter experts and the federal National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on cybersecurity matters
- Deliverables: A written report with findings and recommendations, including suggested statutory changes, due Dec. 31, 2025.
Fiscal and operational impact
- State fiscal impact is minimal and one‑time: estimated General Fund cost of about $43,484 in FY 2026 to fund one contractual SBE staff position for six months to support the workgroup (salary, fringe, start‑up and operating costs). No ongoing costs after the workgroup sunsets; no effect on state revenues; no direct local government fiscal impact.
- SBE indicated existing staff cannot absorb the additional workload.
Who is affected
- Voters with disabilities (primary focus), election administrators, State agencies involved in elections, cybersecurity and accessibility stakeholders, and advocacy organizations invited to participate. Potential downstream effect if legislative or administrative recommendations are adopted.
Timing and duration
- Effective June 1, 2025; workgroup must report by Dec. 31, 2025; statutory authority expires June 30, 2026 (one year, one month lifespan).
Notes
- The workgroup is advisory — it makes findings and recommendations; enactment of any operational changes or statutory revisions would require separate legislative or administrative action.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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