Brennan Center for Justice

Maryland currently has the Automated Registration at DMVs, Online Registration, and Portability components of Voter Registration Modernization in place, and Same Day Registration will go into effect in 2016. Maryland also has pre-registration and electronic pollbooks.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) announced that it intends to automate the voter registration system at MVA offices. Please see our blog post on automated registration through Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). In addition, through portability, registered voters who have moved within the state can cast a ballot that counts on Election Day even if they had not previously updated their registration information before showing up at the polls.  These voters can go to their new polling place (corresponding to their current address) to cast a provisional ballot that will count.  The provisional ballot will serve as their change of address form.  For more on portability in Maryland, please see our Brennan Center report titled “Permanent Voter Registration.”

In the past, Maryland has considered the following VRM-related legislation:

• Election Day Registration.This bill would establish Election Day registration. (H.B. 372)

• Online Registration.This bill would allow for an online voter registration system. New registrants must provide a state ID number or Social Security number. Voters updating or changing their information may also use their voter ID number. (H.B. 740)