The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on election policy in the 2026 General Assembly.
Administering elections is a core responsibility of county governments requiring careful coordination of polling locations, election workers, and secure systems to ensure every Marylander can participate in a fair and accessible process. Counties serve on the front lines of election administration, translating state policy into real-world operations every two years. Through its elections advocacy, MACo supports policies that uphold election integrity and transparency while ensuring implementation remains practical and fully resourced at the local level.
In Maryland’s 448th legislative session, election policy continued to evolve as the General Assembly considered proposals to improve access, strengthen security, and refine administrative processes. These measures carry direct operational and fiscal impacts for county election officials, especially as counties prepare for future election cycles under tight timelines and resource constraints.
MACo advocated for balanced, workable solutions that reflect the realities of election administration without overburdening local governments. MACo’s Legislative Committee set the association’s positions on hundreds of bills across all policy areas, advancing practical compromises that reflect counties’ broad responsibilities.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo supported HB 145/SB 141 – Election Law – Election Misinformation, Election Disinformation, and Deepfakes. This bill strengthens Maryland’s election laws by prohibiting deepfakes and other forms of synthetic media intended to interfere with voting, and equipping the State to respond swiftly to election misinformation. It maintains a strict focus on materially false information intended to impede the voting process; it does not aim to regulate general political speech or public opinion. This bill PASSED in the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo submitted a letter of information on HB 1001/SB 670 – Election Law – Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers – Revisions. This bill gives local election directors authority at polling places, similar to that of election judges, including maintaining order and addressing violations of election law. It also expands and clarifies rules for challengers and watchers by allowing their presence at early voting centers, limiting who can designate them, requiring documentation with local boards, and prohibiting them from handling voting equipment. This bill PASSED in the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 662 – Election Law – Election Judges – Compensation for Public School Students. This bill would have removed an unnecessary barrier to public school students serving as election judges by repealing the requirement that they choose between receiving election judge pay and earning the required service-learning credit. The bill sought to expand a critical recruitment pipeline. This bill DID NOT pass in the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 962 – Local Public Campaign Financing – County Boards of Education. This bill would have expanded the offices for which a county may establish public campaign financing. As these officials often exercise significant policy and budget authority, including them in a public financing program could have promoted consistency and accountability while ensuring each county can determine whether such an expansion aligns with its needs and voter expectations. This bill DID NOT pass in the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 350/SB 255 – Voting Rights Act of 2026 – Counties and Municipal Corporations. This bill creates a new State-law cause of action to challenge local election systems, exposing counties to significant litigation risk, costs, and court-ordered changes, without clear guardrails or a defined role for local governments in resolving concerns before litigation. Counties warned that this broad and uncertain legal framework could expose local governments to significant litigation risk and costs. This bill PASSED during the waning hours of the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
Conduit Street Podcast: Elections, Federal Executive Orders, and What’s Real
For more on elections-related legislation tracked by MACo during the 2026 legislative session.
