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SB 670MARYLANDSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Maryland expands polling place authority to election officials and police oversight rules

Original title: Election Law - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions

Last action · May 12, 2026: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 468Sponsor: Cheryl Kagan

Companion · HB 1001same policy, House version
Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Maryland law now authorizes election administrators, local board employees, and local election directors to keep the peace, order arrests, and manage poll watchers independently of election judges. The legislation takes effect on June 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Changes who holds direct operational authority inside polling places, early voting centers, and counting centers during elections, allowing designated election staff to eject disruptive watchers and order police assistance.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

local board of elections employees

Granted independent legal authority to keep the peace, order arrests, and manage poll watchers at polling places.

Directly affected

challengers and watchers

Subject to stricter timing requirements for pre-opening arrival and potential ejection by election directors or staff.

Directly affected

police officers

Required to obey orders from designated election administrators and local board staff while on duty at polling locations.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can order a police officer to make an arrest at a polling place under the new law?
In addition to election judges, police officers must obey and execute arrest orders from local board employees, the State Administrator, the Deputy State Administrator, or local election directors.
Can poll watchers be barred from entering a polling place before it opens?
Yes. An election director may refuse entry to a before polls open if they were not present at least 30 minutes prior to opening, or if their presence threatens to prevent the timely opening of the polls.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

18 actions
  1. May 12, 2026Governor of MarylandEnrolled
    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 468
  2. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Enrolled
  3. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Reading Passed (41-1)
  4. Apr 9, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate Concurs House Amendments
  5. Apr 8, 2026HouseFloor
    Third Reading Passed (134-0)
  6. Apr 3, 2026HouseFloor
    Second Reading Passed with Amendments
Show 12 earlier actions
  1. Apr 3, 2026House
    Favorable with Amendments { 763329/1 Adopted
  2. Apr 3, 2026HouseCommittee
    Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
  3. Mar 24, 2026House
    Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
  4. Mar 21, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred Government, Labor, and Elections
  5. Mar 20, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Reading Passed (38-4)
  6. Mar 19, 2026SenateFloor
    Second Reading Passed with Amendments
  7. Mar 19, 2026Senate
    Favorable with Amendments { 183727/1 Adopted
  8. Mar 18, 2026SenateFloor
    Motion Laid Over (Senator Ready) Adopted
  9. Mar 18, 2026Senate
    Favorable with Amendments { 183727/1
  10. Mar 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
  11. Feb 10, 2026Senate
    Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
  12. Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
    First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Cheryl KaganSenate · District 17DemocraticSponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Decentralization of Polling Place Authority

Expands peace-keeping and enforcement powers beyond traditional election judges to include appointed administrative staff and election directors.

Connected Entities

Deputy State Administrator, State Administrator
otherDeputy State Administrator“Deputy state election administrator.”Map →
otherState Administrator“State election administrator with authority over polling place police and peace-”Map →

Sources

Open source document

mgaleg.maryland.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy45
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

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