SB 480

Protecting Election Officials Act of 2024

Sponsor: PresidentCommittee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: ElectionsStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 20 (as of Nov 13, 2024)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully making a threat to harm an election official or an immediate family member of an election official because of the election official's role in administering the election process; and establishing that a person who violates the Act is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (41)

MGA witness list

FAV 26FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendmentsUNF 12UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Villasenor, Ernestolobbyist	CCAN	Written (PDF)
FAV	Antoine, Joannelobbyist	Common Cause Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	Monteiro, Paul	Department of Service and Civic Innovation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Reynolds-Dominguez, Camilalobbyist	FreeState Justice	Position only
FAV	Cooper, Charlie	Get Money Out -- Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tischenko, Alexanderlobbyist	Institute for Responsive Government Action	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tyree, Nikki	LWVMD	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Lavoie, Ruie	MAEO and Baltimore County Board of Elections	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Sample, Sarah	MD Association of Counties	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sample, Sarah	Maryland Association of Counties	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Gudger, John Michael	Maryland Association of Election Officials	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kroll, Steven	Maryland State's Attorneys' Association	Oral
FAV	Tomasello, Beth	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Britt, Adiena	N/A	Position only
FAV	Cross, Cashenna	NAACP	Oral
FAV	Pittman, Steuart	Office of the Anne Arundel County Executive	Written (PDF)
FAV	David, Sarah	Office of the State Prosecutor	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Giles, Jalisa	Public Citizen	Oral
FAV	Taylor, Nina	The Center for Election Science	Written (PDF)
FAV	Butler, Brandonlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	DeMarinis, Jared	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	President, President	Individual	Oral
FAV	President, President	Individual	Oral
FAV	Sirkel, Robin	Individual	Position only
UNF	Price, Suzanne	Concerned Citizen	Written (PDF)
UNF	Gallagher, George	ICQ	Position only
UNF	Arshavsky, Svetlana	Individual	Position only
UNF	Atkins, Robert	Individual	Position only
UNF	Diefenbach, Linda	Individual	Position only
UNF	Elbourn, James	Individual	Position only
UNF	Fink, Nelda	Individual	Position only
UNF	Lang, Alan	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Love, William	Individual	Position only
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
UNF	Williams, Peggy	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	mcavoy, vince	Individual	Position only
FWA	Spangler, Adam	Office of Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FWA	Pedersen, Stacy	Individual	Position only
INFO	Hovland, Ben	U.S. Election Assistance Commission	Oral + Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

CCANFAV 1

Common Cause MarylandFAV 1

Concerned CitizenUNF 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 1

Department of Service and Civic InnovationFAV 1

FreeState JusticeFAV 1

Get Money Out -- MarylandFAV 1

ICQUNF 1

Institute for Responsive Government ActionFAV 1

LWVMDFAV 1

MAEO and Baltimore County Board of ElectionsFAV 1

Maryland Association of CountiesFAV 1

Maryland Association of Election OfficialsFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland State's Attorneys' AssociationFAV 1

MD Association of CountiesFAV 1

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

N/AFAV 1

NAACPFAV 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFWA 1

Office of the Anne Arundel County ExecutiveFAV 1

Office of the State ProsecutorFAV 1

Public CitizenFAV 1

The Center for Election ScienceFAV 1

U.S. Election Assistance CommissionINFO 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVVillasenor, ErnestoCCANRegistered for: Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund

FAVAntoine, JoanneCommon Cause MarylandRegistered for: Common Cause Maryland

FAVReynolds-Dominguez, CamilaFreeState JusticeRegistered for: FreeState Justice

FAVTischenko, AlexanderInstitute for Responsive Government ActionRegistered for: Institute for Responsive Government Action

FAVButler, BrandonRegistered for: Cecil County Government; Center for Election Science; DelFest, LLC; International Responder Systems; Maryland Workforce Association; Toro Management, LLC…