HB 206
Department of Legislative Services
Maryland General Assembly
2021 Session
FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
Enrolled - Revised
House Bill 206 (Delegate Washington)
Ways and Means Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation
This bill increases the hours during which early voting centers are open for regular primary
and general elections, so that early voting centers are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
each early voting day, for each election, instead of (1) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each
early voting day, for presidential general elections and (2) from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
each early voting day, for all other regular primary and general elections.
Fiscal Summary
State Effect: General fund expenditures increase by approximately $15,500 in FY 2022
through FY 2024 and future fiscal years in which a gubernatorial primary or general
election or a presidential primary election occurs and by approximately $5,000 in FY 2025
and future fiscal years in which a presidential general election occurs. Revenues are not
affected.
(in dollars) FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026
Revenues $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
GF Expenditure 15,500 15,500 15,500 5,000 15,500
Net Effect ($15,500) ($15,500) ($15,500) ($5,000) ($15,500)
Note:() = decrease; GF = general funds; FF = federal funds; SF = special funds; - = indeterminate increase; (-) = indeterminate decrease
Local Effect: Local government expenditures increase annually, as discussed below.
Revenues are not affected. This bill imposes a mandate on a unit of local government.
Small Business Effect: None.
 Analysis
Current Law: Early voting centers are open, in a presidential general election, during the
hours between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. each early voting day. In all other regular primary
and general elections, early voting centers are open during the hours between 10:00 a.m.
and 8:00 p.m. each early voting day.
State and Local Fiscal Effect: Increasing the number of hours early voting centers are
open each early voting day 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, which is a voting system cost shared by the State and local boards of elections.
These support personnel are used in many, but not all, early voting centers (some counties
separately hire their own voting system support personnel). General fund expenditures and
local government expenditures each increase by approximately $15,500 annually in
fiscal 2022 through 2024 and future fiscal years in which a gubernatorial primary or
general election or a presidential primary election occurs, and by approximately $5,000 in
fiscal 2025 and future fiscal years in which a presidential general election occurs, for the
additional voting system support personnel compensation under SBE’s staffing contract.
Local boards of elections may also incur additional costs, primarily associated with
(1) additional non-election judge personnel, that support early voting, working additional
hours in the mornings of early voting days (including voting system support personnel that
are hired outside of the SBE staffing contract) and (2) an expectation in some counties that
the additional hours election judges will have to work will make recruitment or retention
of election judges more difficult.
Some counties may incur relatively minimal or no additional costs, while others’ costs will
be more significant. Of a small number of counties contacted about the impact,
Washington County does not expect costs to increase and Worcester County indicates that
costs will increase by $4,400 annually to increase compensation for early voting election
judges. Baltimore City indicates that it also would increase election judge compensation,
increasing costs by $43,500 annually. Montgomery County, the State’s largest jurisdiction,
which operates 11 early voting centers, expects to incur more significant increased costs –
$50,000 annually in overtime for elections and facilities staff (except in fiscal years when
a presidential general election occurs, when the cost increase is $16,500) and potentially
up to $67,000 annually to recruit, train, and pay additional part-time election judges to
mitigate the impact of the additional hours added to early voting days.
HB 206/ Page 2
 Additional Information
Prior Introductions: HB 1094 of 2020 passed the House with amendments and was
referred to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, but no
further action was taken.
Designated Cross File: SB 596 (Senator Washington) - Education, Health, and
Environmental Affairs.
Information Source(s): State Board of Elections; Baltimore City; Montgomery,
Washington, and Worcester counties; Department of Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History: First Reader - January 18, 2021
rh/hlb Third Reader - February 16, 2021
Enrolled - May 7, 2021
Revised - Amendment(s) - May 7, 2021
Analysis by: Scott D. Kennedy Direct Inquiries to:
(410) 946-5510
(301) 970-5510
HB 206/ Page 3


Statutes affected:
Text - First - Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation: 10-301.1 Election Law
Text - Third - Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation: 10-301.1 Election Law
Text - Enrolled - Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation: 10-301.1 []