Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

HB 211
                                  Department of Legislative Services
                                             Maryland General Assembly
                                                   2021 Session
                                         FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
                                                First Reader
House Bill 211                                  (Delegate Bhandari)
Ways and Means
                       Election Law - Early Voting Centers - Days of Operation
This bill modifies the days during which early voting centers are open for voting, so that
the centers are open from the second Thursday before a primary or general election through
the Saturday (replacing Thursday) before the election.
                                                      Fiscal Summary
State Effect: General fund expenditures increase by at least $24,000 in FY 2022, with
ongoing expenditure increases in future years. Revenues are not affected.
      (in dollars)               FY 2022                FY 2023               FY 2024               FY 2025                FY 2026
   Revenues                                $0                    $0                     $0                    $0                    $0
   GF Expenditure                      24,000                24,000                 24,000                26,000                24,000
   Net Effect                       ($24,000)             ($24,000)              ($24,000)             ($26,000)             ($24,000)
Note:() = decrease; GF = general funds; FF = federal funds; SF = special funds; - = indeterminate increase; (-) = indeterminate decrease
Local Effect: Local government expenditures increase by at least $474,000 in FY 2022,
with ongoing expenditure increases in future years. Revenues are not affected. This bill
imposes a mandate on a unit of local government.
Small Business Effect: None.
                                                             Analysis
Current Law: Each early voting center must be open for voting beginning the
second Thursday before a primary or general election through the Thursday before the
election. In a presidential general election, early voting centers are open from 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. each early voting day and in all other elections they are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
State and Local Fiscal Effect: Increasing the number of days early voting centers are
open is expected to increase the State and local boards of elections’ costs.
Both the State and local boards of elections’ costs increase for additional compensation of
voting system support personnel under the State Board of Elections’ (SBE) staffing
contract and for increased voting equipment transportation costs (resulting from equipment
being returned from the early voting centers on a weekend rather than during the week),
both of which are voting system costs shared by the State and local boards of elections.
General fund expenditures and local government expenditures each increase by
approximately $24,000 each fiscal year, beginning in fiscal 2022 (with a slight increase in
fiscal 2025 due to additional early voting hours for presidential general elections), for the
additional voting system support personnel compensation and voting equipment
transportation costs.
Local board of elections costs also increase, collectively, by a minimum of $450,000
annually beginning in fiscal 2022, representing the cost of additional election judge
compensation for the two additional days of early voting. This estimate is based on past
SBE surveys of local board election judge allocation and compensation for early voting
and Election Day.
SBE and the local boards of elections have indicated that other cost increases, at least at
the local level, are likely to be incurred, but those costs have not been quantified on a
statewide basis at this time. SBE indicates that there may be other cost increases incurred
by the State and local boards of elections as a result of having to make the transition from
early voting to Election Day (which includes the process of ensuring that voter data
included in election day pollbooks reflects individuals that voted during early voting)
within a shorter period of time. Local boards have indicated they will incur other costs in
addition to the election judge costs to support the two additional days of early voting. Of a
small number of counties contacted, Montgomery County, for example, expects to incur
an additional $92,000 each fiscal year in staff overtime costs and costs to recruit and train
the additional election judges needed for the two additional days of early voting, as well as
at least $53,000 in costs in fiscal 2022, and at least $20,000 in costs in subsequent
fiscal years, associated with a need for additional ballots (and carts and equipment for the
ballots) for the two additional days of early voting. Harford and Talbot counties expect to
incur $2,000 and $2,380 in fiscal 2022 (with ongoing costs in future years), respectively,
in additional facilities, staff, and other costs.
                                Additional Information
Prior Introductions: None.
HB 211/ Page 2
Designated Cross File: None.
Information Source(s): State Board of Elections; Baltimore City; Harford, Montgomery,
and Talbot counties; Department of Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History:    First Reader - January 25, 2021
rh/hlb
Analysis by: Scott D. Kennedy                       Direct Inquiries to:
                                                    (410) 946-5510
                                                    (301) 970-5510
HB 211/ Page 3
Statutes affected: 
Text - First - Election Law - Early Voting Centers - Days of Operation: 10-301.1 Election Law