2025 Maryland Legislative Priorities
The Maryland Forward Party is tracking almost 40 bills in the legislature this session and we've designated seven of them as extremely high priority. You have an opportunity to make a difference here and defeat or support these bills - we'll tell you why this is important and what you can do accomplish this!
HB 0041 / SB 0267: Election Law - Petitions for the Formation of a New Political Party - Process.
This is going for a full vote in the House - email now!
This bill specifically targets new political parties such as Forward and makes it harder for them to get status, so that existing parties can maintain control of the democratic process. We recommend you write your representative AGAINST supporting this bill.
Draft Language and contact info.
HB 1094: Montgomery County - Voting Methods MC 9-25
This is one of our core objectives at Forward and we strongly recommend you write the entire House Ways and Means Committee IN FAVOR of this bill, by MARCH 11.
Summary: This bill authorizes the Montgomery County Council to adopt, by law, a ranked-choice voting method or an approval voting method for elections for certain local offices.This bill specifically authorizes Montgomery County to be able to use Ranked Choice Voting method for local offices.!
Draft Language and contact info.
HB 1280: Election Law - Affiliating with a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters
Summary: This bill authorizes unaffiliated voters to request to affiliate with a political party at an early voting center during a primary election and vote a ballot for the voter's preferred political party. The voter is free to unaffiliate from that party after the election.
We recommend you write your representative IN FAVOR of supporting this bill.
Draft Language and contact info.
HB 215/SB 0383: Elections - Ranked-Choice Voting in Contests for Presidential Nomination and Certification of Election - Supporting Technology
Summary: This bill authorizes the State Board of Elections (SBE) to use ranked-choice voting to conduct a contest for the nomination of a candidate by a political party for President of the United States, beginning with the 2028 primary election. In addition, it requires the SBE to develop or acquire the election technology and voter training to utilize ranked-choice voting.
We recommend you contact the entire House Ways and Means and Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee IN FAVOR of of this bill.
Draft Language and contact info.
SB 0027 and HB 0111: Election Law - Exploratory Committees
Summary: This bill establishes Exploratory Committees in Maryland campaign finance law, makes them subject to the same provisions as Political Committees, and prevents potential candidates from moving funds from an Exploratory Committee for one position, to a Political Committee for a different position.
We recommend you contact the entire House Ways and Means Committee IN FAVOR of this bill.
Draft Language and contact info.
SB 0002 and HB 0174 - General Assembly - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office
Summary - Currently, if a vacancy occurs in the position of Delegate or Senator in the General Assembly, the vacancy will be filled by appointment rather than a special election. This bill would enable an amendment to the Maryland Constitution to require a special election be held to fill a vacancy in the office of Delegate or Senator in the General Assembly, if the vacancy occurs prior to a certain date in that term.
We recommend you contact the entire House Ways and Means Committee IN FAVOR of this bill.
Draft Language and contact info.
HB642 - Election Law - Registered Voter List and Petitions (Ballot Modernization Act)
Summary: HB 642 allows the use of electronic signatures on petitions to form new political parties (whereas current law/regulation requires wet signatures), and simplifies the information required on petitions. It allows groups who wish to form new parties access to voter lists (with appropriate safeguards for voter information), brings the petitioning process in line with modern digital information practice, and facilitates voter participation in the political process, all the while protecting the integrity of that process.
We recommend you contact the entire House Ways and Means Committee IN FAVOR of this bill.
Draft Language and Contact info.
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