Maryland Automatic Voter Registration

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Testimony Supporting Maryland House Bill 627, which would designate the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services as an automatic voter registration agency. Expanding automatic voter registration to state correctional facilities would simplify the registration process for newly re-enfranchised citizens and emphasize the importance of their participation in democracy. In 2016, Maryland law established that as soon as an individual with a felony conviction was released from incarceration, they automatically retained the right to vote. In 2018, the Maryland General Assembly established automatic voter registration, seeking to streamline the process at the MVA and other government offices. HB 627 is an opportunity to realize the full potential of these two policies and expand automatic voter registration to ensure that returning citizens face no barriers in exercising their right under Maryland law to have a voice in our elections. (2024)