DISSINTER

HB 156 — Maryland

Election Law - Affiliating With a Party and Voting - Unaffiliated Voters

Authorizing unaffiliated voters to request to affiliate with a political party at an early voting center before a primary election or at a precinct polling place on a primary election day and vote a provisional ballot for the voter's preferred political party; requiring an election judge to determine if the voter resides in a certain county; applying the Act to all elections beginning with the statewide primary election in 2028; and prohibiting the application of the Act to any special elections held before the 2028 primary.

Latest action: Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment · Mar 12, 2026

Passed one chamberElectionsElections SupervisorsEmergency BillsHealthPolitical PartiesResidencyRules and RegulationsSafetyVoting

Synopsis written by the legislature's own staff, as published on the official bill page. Status label is derived from the recorded actions. The full text below is the record.

Committees: Government, Labor, and Elections (House of Delegates); Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate)

Updated Apr 6, 2026

Timeline

  1. Pre-filed

    Oct 3, 2025 · House of Delegates

  2. First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

    Jan 14, 2026 · House of Delegates

  3. Hearing 2/04 at 2:00 p.m.

    Jan 16, 2026 · House of Delegates

  4. Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections

    Mar 9, 2026 · House of Delegates

  5. Favorable with Amendments {

    Mar 10, 2026 · House of Delegates

  6. Second Reading Passed with Amendments

    Mar 10, 2026 · House of Delegates

  7. Third Reading Passed

    Mar 11, 2026 · House of Delegates

  8. Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment

    Mar 12, 2026 · Senate

Sponsored by Kris Fair, Cheryl Pasteur, Sheila Ruth, Chao Wu, Stuart Schmidt, Jared Solomon, Mary Lehman, Vaughn Stewart, Jen Terrasa

House of Delegates vote — 110–26

On Third Reading (Emerg) · Feb 27, 2026 · result: pass

110 yea · 26 nay · 5 absent, excused, abstain or not voting

Bonnie CullisonDistrict 19YeaDana JonesDistrict 30AYeaJesse PippyDistrict 4YeaSean StinnettDistrict 41YeaGabriel AceveroDistrict 39YeaDebra DavisDistrict 28YeaAnne KaiserDistrict 14YeaAndrew PruskiDistrict 33AYeaJosh StonkoDistrict 42CYeaJackie AddisonDistrict 45YeaEric EbersoleDistrict 44AYeaAaron KaufmanDistrict 18YeaLily QiDistrict 15YeaDeni TaverasDistrict 47BYeaNick AllenDistrict 8YeaMark EdelsonDistrict 46YeaKen KerrDistrict 3YeaPam QueenDistrict 14YeaKym TaylorDistrict 23YeaTiffany AlstonDistrict 24YeaElizabeth EmbryDistrict 43AYeaNic KipkeDistrict 31YeaKent RobersonDistrict 25YeaJen TerrasaDistrict 13YeaMarlon AmpreyDistrict 40YeaKris FairDistrict 3YeaMarc KormanDistrict 16YeaDenise RobertsDistrict 25YeaKaren TolesDistrict 25YeaHeather Bagnall TudballDistrict 33CYeaDiana FennellDistrict 47AYeaMary LehmanDistrict 21YeaMike RogersDistrict 32YeaChris TomlinsonDistrict 5YeaBen BarnesDistrict 21YeaLinda FoleyDistrict 15YeaRobbyn LewisDistrict 46YeaSandy RosenbergDistrict 41YeaVeronica TurnerDistrict 26YeaSandy BartlettDistrict 32YeaCathi ForbesDistrict 43BYeaJeff LongDistrict 27BYeaKim RossDistrict 8YeaKris ValderramaDistrict 26YeaBarry BeauchampDistrict 38BYeaDavid Fraser-HidalgoDistrict 15YeaLesley LopezDistrict 39YeaMalcolm RuffDistrict 41YeaJoe VogelDistrict 17YeaDylan BehlerDistrict 30AYeaMichele GuytonDistrict 42BYeaSheila RuthDistrict 44BYeaRon WatsonDistrict 23YeaHarry BhandariDistrict 8YeaGuy GuzzoneDistrict 13YeaAletheia McCaskillDistrict 44BYeaSheree Sample-HughesDistrict 37AYeaMelissa WellsDistrict 40YeaAdrian BoafoDistrict 23YeaAndrea HarrisonDistrict 24YeaRic MetzgarDistrict 6YeaMatthew SchindlerDistrict 2BYeaJennifer White HollandDistrict 10YeaRegina BoyceDistrict 43AYeaAnne HealeyDistrict 22YeaBernice Mireku-NorthDistrict 14YeaStuart SchmidtDistrict 33BYeaJheanelle WilkinsDistrict 20YeaJon CardinDistrict 11BYeaTerri HillDistrict 12AYeaDavid MoonDistrict 20YeaEmily ShettyDistrict 18YeaC.T. WilsonDistrict 28YeaMark ChangDistrict 32YeaJim HinebaughDistrict 1AYeaGabriel MorenoDistrict 13YeaGary SimmonsDistrict 12BYeaGreg WimsDistrict 39YeaLorig CharkoudianDistrict 20YeaMarvin HolmesDistrict 23YeaLaToya NkongoloDistrict 31YeaKaren SimpsonDistrict 3YeaSarah WolekDistrict 16YeaBarrie CilibertiDistrict 4YeaKevin HornbergerDistrict 35BYeaDarrell OdomDistrict 27AYeaWill SmithDistrict 20YeaJamila WoodsDistrict 26YeaLuke ClippingerDistrict 46YeaSeth HowardDistrict 30BYeaJulie Palakovich CarrDistrict 17YeaJared SolomonDistrict 18YeaTeresa WoormanDistrict 16YeaDerrick ColeyDistrict 24YeaJulian IveyDistrict 47AYeaCheryl PasteurDistrict 11AYeaRyan SpiegelDistrict 17YeaChao WuDistrict 9AYeaFrank ConawayDistrict 40YeaAndre JohnsonDistrict 34AYeaEdith PattersonDistrict 28YeaDana SteinDistrict 11BYeaCaylin YoungDistrict 45YeaCharlotte CrutchfieldDistrict 19YeaSteve JohnsonDistrict 34AYeaScott PhillipsDistrict 10YeaVaughn StewartDistrict 19YeaNatalie ZieglerDistrict 9AYeaChris AdamsDistrict 37BNayBrian ChisholmDistrict 31NayWayne HartmanDistrict 38CNaySusan McComasDistrict 34BNayTeresa ReillyDistrict 35ANayKevin AndersonDistrict 38ANayMark FisherDistrict 27CNayTom HutchinsonDistrict 37BNayApril MillerDistrict 4NayApril RoseDistrict 5NaySteve ArentzDistrict 36NayJeff GhristDistrict 36NayJay JacobsDistrict 36NayMatt MorganDistrict 29ANayKathy SzeligaDistrict 7ANayLauren ArikanDistrict 7BNayRobin GrammerDistrict 6NayBob LongDistrict 6NayTodd MorganDistrict 29CNayWilliam ValentineDistrict 2ANayTerry BakerDistrict 1CNayMike GriffithDistrict 35ANayRyan NawrockiDistrict 7ANayWilliam WivellDistrict 2ANayJason BuckelDistrict 1BNayChristopher BouchatDistrict 5Not votingBrian CrosbyDistrict 29BAbsentJessica FeldmarkDistrict 12AAbsentAdrienne JonesDistrict 10AbsentNicole WilliamsDistrict 22Absent
Speakeras recorded — not linked to a profileYea
Martinezas recorded — not linked to a profileYea
Mangioneas recorded — not linked to a profileNay
Official record — Maryland General Assembly roll call
Fiscal and Policy Note — official analysis by legislative staff (PDF) Bill text (First reading) — Maryland General Assembly (PDF) Bill text (Third reading) — Maryland General Assembly (PDF) Official record — Maryland General Assembly bill page

Official records. Maryland legislators, bills and roll-call votes from the Maryland General Assembly, imported through Open States on Oct 27, 2026 (partial import — not yet the full session). Accuracy review against the official site is still under way. Campaign-finance records for Maryland are not imported yet.