Election Law - Incarcerated Individuals - Voter Hotline and Voting Eligibility (Voting Rights for All Act)
Summary
HB710 would change Maryland election law in two main ways. First, it requires the State Board of Elections to create a toll-free voter hotline specifically for incarcerated individuals. The hotline must provide information about voting, help request election-related materials, and allow incarcerated people to report alleged voting rights violations. The State Board would also have to adopt regulations for the hotline in coordination with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and correctional facilities.
Second, the bill expands voting eligibility for people convicted of felonies who are serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment. Under current law, those individuals are not qualified to register to vote while incarcerated. HB710 removes that disqualification, allowing incarcerated people with felony convictions to register to vote while serving their sentences. The bill also repeals the existing criminal penalty provision that made voting or attempting to vote while in that status a felony offense.
Impact
HB710 would amend the Election Law Article by removing the statutory bar on voter registration for incarcerated individuals serving felony sentences, while leaving intact other voter disqualifications such as certain guardianship findings and convictions for buying or selling votes. It would also repeal the separate offense that criminalized voting by a person rendered ineligible under the prior felony-incarceration rule. In addition, it would add a new section requiring election assistance infrastructure for incarcerated people through a statewide hotline and related regulations.
Sentiment
Based on the bill title and structure, the measure appears strongly pro-voting-rights and aimed at expanding access to the electoral process for incarcerated individuals. There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal support or opposition is documented here. The bill’s framing as the “Voting Rights for All Act” suggests an affirmative policy goal of increasing participation and access.
Contention
The central point of contention is likely the bill’s removal of the current prohibition on voter registration for people convicted of felonies who are serving prison sentences. Supporters would view this as a voting-rights expansion and a way to ensure incarcerated individuals can receive election information and report violations, while opponents may argue that voting should remain restricted during incarceration for felony convictions. A secondary issue is the administrative burden on election officials, correctional facilities, and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to implement and coordinate the hotline and related procedures.