Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland SB670: Election Law - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions
Status: Signed into law, May 12, 2026
Requiring a police officer who is on duty at a polling place to obey the authority of the State Administrator, the Deputy State Administrator, or a local election director; providing that in a polling place certain individuals have the authority to keep the peace and order the arrest of certain persons; requiring a local election director while serving in a polling place, to protect certain rights of challengers and watchers; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Election Law - Local Board of Elections Employees - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions FOR the purpose of requiring a police officer who is on duty at a polling place to obey the authority of a local board of elections employee the State Administrator or the State Administrator's designee, the Deputy State Administrator, or a local election director or the local election director's designee…
From the enrolled text, May 19, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Election Law - Local Board of Elections Employees - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions FOR the purpose of requiring a police officer who is on duty at a polling place to obey the authority of a local board of elections employee the State Administrator or the State Administrator's designee, the Deputy State Administrator, or a local election director or the local election director's designee; providing that local board employees, while serving, in a polling place, certain persons individuals have the authority to keep the peace and order the arrest of certain persons; authorizing requiring a local board employees election director, while serving in a polling place, to protect certain rights of, challengers and watchers; authorizing a local election director, while serving in a polling place, to deny admission of, and eject certain challengers and watchers from a polling place under certain circumstances; altering the types of persons that may designate a registered voter as an accredited challenger or watcher at each polling place; authorizing certain persons to designate accredited challengers or watchers at early voting centers and canvassing locations;; altering the persons that may designate a registered voter as an observer at each counting center; and generally relating to the authority of local board employees persons at polling places, early …
Sponsors
- Cheryl Kagan (D, SD-017) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Approved by the Governor - Chapter 468
- : Passed Enrolled
- : Third Reading Passed (41-1)
- : Senate Concurs House Amendments
- : Third Reading Passed (134-0)
- : Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- : Favorable with Amendments {763329/1 Adopted
- : Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
- : Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
- : Referred Government, Labor, and Elections
Votes
- Third Reading Passed (41-1) (April 9, 2026): 41 yea, 1 nay, passed
- Third Reading Passed (134-0) (April 8, 2026): 134 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Third Reading Passed (38-4) (March 20, 2026): 38 yea, 4 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is SB670?
- SB670 is a bill in the Maryland Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Election Law - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions.
- What does SB670 do?
- In its own words: An act concerning Election Law - Local Board of Elections Employees - Authority at Polling Places, Early Voting Centers, and Counting Centers - Revisions FOR the purpose of requiring a police officer who is on duty at a polling place to obey the authority of a local board of elections employee the State Administrator or the State Administrator's designee, the Deputy State Administrator, or a local election director or the local election director's designee…
- What is the status of SB670?
- Signed into law as of May 12, 2026. Latest action: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 468 (May 12, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB670?
- Cheryl Kagan (D, SD-017).
- Where is the official record for SB670?
- On the Maryland Legislature website: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0670?ys=2026RS
Source: official Maryland record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.