SB 685

Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program

Sponsor: Malcolm Augustine (District 47)Committee: Education, Energy, and the EnvironmentSubject: ElectionsStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 277 (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing the Language Assistance Program; requiring a local board of elections to participate in the Program if the State Board determines that there is a significant need for language assistance to voters in the county in a language other than English; requiring the State Board to designate, no later than February 1 of the year of the election, certain languages other than English in which a local board that is required to participate in the Program must provide assistance to voters; etc.

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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 (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 18FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendmentsUNF 4UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Ginsberg, Zoe	American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mulji, Aseem	Campaign Legal Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nott, Lata	Campaign Legal Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Baker, Brittanylobbyist	Chesapeake Climate Action Network	Position only
FAV	Antoine, Joannelobbyist	Common Cause Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Position only
FAV	Justice, Gillian	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Davis, Emily	Fair Elections Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mnck, Marijane	Indivisible Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tyree, Nikki	LWVMD	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Norling, Richard	MD Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bhandari, Delegate Harry	Maryland House of Delegates	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lipinski, Dannielle	Maryland League of Conservation Voters	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jones, Ricarra	NAACP	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brooks, Imani	NAACP Legal Defense Fund	Oral
FAV	Mauer, William	Individual	Position only
FAV	Senator Augustine, Senator Augustinelegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Wambui, Maureen	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Lang, Alan	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
UNF	Rosa, Richard	Individual	Position only
UNF	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Kinnally, Kevin	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Augustine, Malcolm	Individual	Written (PDF)
INFO	London, Rachel	Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council	Written (PDF)