Bill > SB615

This bill modifies Maryland's election law to enhance the clarity and accessibility of ballot petitions and ballot questions by requiring plain language guidelines and standards. Specifically, the bill instructs the State Board to develop guidelines for creating petition and ballot materials that are written in clear, easily understandable language, prohibiting the use of passive voice, legal jargon, and double negatives. For petition signature pages, the bill mandates that summaries and titles describe ballot questions in plain language that a typical voter can comprehend, focusing on the topic, goal, or outcome without delving into complex legal mechanisms. The bill also requires ballot questions themselves to be written in plain, clear language and include a brief statement explaining the practical outcome of each voting choice. Additionally, the legislation extends the public posting period for complete text of ballot questions from 65 to 90 days before an election and introduces a 15-day public comment period for proposed ballot question language, during which the responsible party must review comments and potentially revise the question. These changes aim to make election-related documents more transparent and accessible to voters, ensuring they can better understand the implications of their voting choices.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0615?ys=2025RS