Read more about the article US Supreme Court Blocks New Mail-In Voting Rules for Midterms
County News / Elections / News You Can Use
US Supreme Court Blocks New Mail-In Voting Rules for Midterms

The US Supreme Court this week rejected the Trump administration’s request to allow new US Postal Service requirements for mail-in ballots to take effect ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, leaving a lower court injunction in place while litigation continues. The September 14 order marks the latest turn in a months-long legal fight over federal efforts to change how states administer mail-in voting. For the upcoming election, USPS will continue handling ballot mail without enforcing…

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September 15, 2026
Read more about the article MD Supreme Court Clears Redistricting Question for November Ballot
Elections / General Assembly News / News You Can Use
MD Supreme Court Clears Redistricting Question for November Ballot

The Supreme Court of Maryland has cleared a proposed congressional redistricting amendment for the November ballot, overturning two circuit court rulings that would have blocked the measure. The Court found the ballot language approved by the General Assembly misleading but ordered revised language, ending weeks of uncertainty as State and local election administrators move deeper into preparations for the November 3 general election. The divided Court issued its order Thursday evening after hearing arguments earlier…

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September 4, 2026
Read more about the article MD Supreme Court To Decide Fate of Redistricting Ballot Question
Courts / Elections
MD Supreme Court To Decide Fate of Redistricting Ballot Question

The Supreme Court of Maryland will decide whether a proposed congressional redistricting amendment can appear on the November ballot after two circuit court judges separately ruled against the measure. The first appeal is set for Thursday, September 3, as the State Board of Elections prepares to begin printing ballots. Last week, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Thompson ruled that the General Assembly failed to comply with State election law when it passed…

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August 31, 2026
Read more about the article Mail-In Voting Saga Continues as DOJ Appeals Latest Block
Elections / News You Can Use
Mail-In Voting Saga Continues as DOJ Appeals Latest Block

New US Postal Service requirements for mail-in ballots are back on hold after a federal judge blocked their implementation for two weeks. The administration appealed the ruling Friday, continuing a fast-moving legal fight just weeks before Maryland begins sending ballots for the November election. The latest turn comes days after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) intervened in the case. As previously reported on Conduit Street, SCOTUS ruled that states had challenged the…

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August 31, 2026
Read more about the article Mail-In Voting Fight Escalates: Judge Lifts Block, Maryland Sues USPS
County News / Elections / News You Can Use
Mail-In Voting Fight Escalates: Judge Lifts Block, Maryland Sues USPS

A federal judge has lifted the final injunction blocking new US Postal Service requirements for mail-in ballots, clearing USPS to apply the rules to the November midterms unless another court intervenes. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown immediately joined a new lawsuit seeking to stop them. US District Judge Indira Talwani vacated her nationwide injunction Wednesday after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that states had challenged President Donald Trump’s executive order too…

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August 26, 2026
Read more about the article SCOTUS Ruling Leaves Mail-In Voting Fight Unresolved
Courts / Elections / News You Can Use
SCOTUS Ruling Leaves Mail-In Voting Fight Unresolved

A US Supreme Court ruling could allow the Trump administration to move forward with parts of an executive order restricting mail-in voting, but the Court did not rule on whether those restrictions are legal, and the decision does not change Maryland’s current mail-in voting process. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) this week sided with the Trump administration in a procedural dispute over President Donald Trump’s  March 2025 executive order on federal elections. The…

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August 25, 2026
Read more about the article Local Governments Sue DHS Over Election Rules Tied to Homeland Security Grants
Elections / Emergency Management / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use
Local Governments Sue DHS Over Election Rules Tied to Homeland Security Grants

Four local governments have sued the US Department of Homeland Security over new election-related conditions attached to federal homeland security grants, the latest challenge to requirements that have already raised concerns in Maryland. Harris and El Paso Counties in Texas, Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee, and Columbus, Ohio, filed the lawsuit on August 17 in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The local governments argue DHS and the Federal Emergency Management…

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August 24, 2026
Read more about the article Summer MACoCon Is Over but the Conversations Continue
County Budgets / County News / Cyber / Elections / Energy / Environment / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Human Resources / Information Technology / Planning and Zoning / Summer Conference
Summer MACoCon Is Over but the Conversations Continue

The 2026 Summer MACoCon might be over, but many of the conversations that filled the convention center's halls are ongoing. In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Shantelle Malcolm-Lym is joined by Karrington Anderson and Dominic Butchko to look back at what stood out at MACoCon and, more importantly, what comes next. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in…

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August 21, 2026
Read more about the article Elections in Uncertain Times: #MACoCon Prepares for November
Elections / Summer Conference
Elections in Uncertain Times: #MACoCon Prepares for November

Maryland election administrators are preparing for the 2026 election amid evolving legal requirements, security concerns, staffing challenges, misinformation, and ongoing scrutiny of election operations. Counties remain on the front lines, managing the people, polling places, ballots, equipment, and communications that make Election Day work. At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference, Elections in Uncertain Times: What Counties Need to Know brought together State and local election leaders to discuss preparations for November and the issues election…

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August 17, 2026
Read more about the article Special Session Adjourns, Redistricting Question Heads to Voters
Elections / General Assembly News
Special Session Adjourns, Redistricting Question Heads to Voters

Maryland's special legislative session concluded Tuesday night with final passage of HB 2100, placing a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2026 general election ballot. If approved by voters, the amendment would clarify that Maryland's constitutional requirements for compact, contiguous legislative districts apply only to General Assembly districts. It also would add new constitutional language stating that nothing in the Maryland Constitution, including the Declaration of Rights, provides applicable criteria for congressional district boundaries. In…

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August 6, 2026
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