Efforts by Sen. Ron Young to reform the state’s voter registration system are gaining traction in the Maryland General Assembly. Young, a Frederick Democrat, sponsored two bills this session to help improve voter registration. They have until midnight Monday, when the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn, to pass both chambers.
The first, which has already passed the Senate and on Thursday passed the House of Delegates with an amendment, would allow Maryland election officials to share voter registration with other states. The Senate is scheduled to vote today on an identical bill that originated in the House of Delegates.
If both chambers approve the same version of the bill, it will head to the governor’s desk for his signature. The purpose of the bill is to catch instances where people have registered to vote in more than one state. Young said if the bill becomes law, Maryland would be the 16th state, plus the District of Columbia, to agree to share information.
“It really helps clean up the voting rolls and (helps us) to see that people aren’t voting more than once,” Young said. The Senate passed Young’s other bill on Friday, by a vote of 41-5. It would allow residents to register to vote online, and a similar bill has already passed the House of Delegates.