Bill > HB333

This bill establishes new procedures for how political party central committees, which are local or state-level governing bodies of a political party, fill vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly for Senator or Delegate positions. The bill mandates that the application period to fill such a vacancy must be at least 7 days long and publicly advertised with details about the meeting, the process, and how to apply. All submitted applications must be posted online for at least 30 days after a vote, though personal information can be redacted. The central committee must hold a public meeting to interview applicants, and any meeting to discuss or vote on filling the vacancy must be open to the public and announced at least 3 days in advance. Crucially, any member of the central committee who applies to fill the vacancy must recuse themselves from administering the application process and from voting on the candidate. The bill also requires public notice of the vacancy to be translated into other languages if required by federal law for election materials in that county.