Testimony: Election Reform Act of 2021

Maryland PIRG

Maryland PIRG supports SB831 to improve the administration of our elections systems. There are some aspects of the bill that we have not taken a position on related to party affiliation and voting.

This bill includes policies responding to increased usage of early voting and voting by mail. These include: allowing voters to fix mistakes on their mail-in ballot request forms, continuing to provide drop boxes that voters can place their mail-in ballots in, extending the operating hours of early vote centers, and creating a curing process for mail-in ballots. 

This bill also increases the amount of clear and transparent information provided to voters by increasing both the amount of information the State Board of Elections provides about its meetings and by mandating more debates between candidates running for office.

Finally the bill makes adjustments to elections administration that increase voter privacy and function of our elections by expanding use of privacy sleeves, enabling early processing of ballots and requiring precinct level reporting.