Maryland Passes HB 115 to Include Voter Registration in the Reentry Process
Legislation advances civic inclusion for justice-impacted Marylanders.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
[Washington, D.C.] – Following the passage of House Bill 115, which authorizes automatic voter registration as part of the reentry process, Nicole D. Porter, Senior Director of Advocacy at The Sentencing Project, issued the following statement:
“The passage of HB 115 —automating voter registration for Marylanders returning home—is a meaningful step toward expanding ballot access for all voting-eligible residents. We urge the Governor to sign this legislation promptly so it can be implemented without delay.
“As we observe Second Chance Month this month, legislation like HB 115 moves the state in the right direction, dismantling barriers faced by citizens returning by embedding civic participation into the reentry process. While this bill eases access to the ballot for many, more than 16,000 Marylanders remain barred from voting solely because they are incarcerated for a felony conviction. Black Marylanders make up 70 percent of those disenfranchised, despite comprising just 31 percent of the state’s voting‑eligible population—an unmistakable reflection of the deep racial inequities within Maryland’s criminal legal system.
“The Voting Rights for All Act would help remedy this systemic political exclusion, by restoring voting rights to people serving felony sentences, but it failed to pass yet again this session. HB 115 should be the beginning—not the endpoint—of Maryland’s commitment to inclusive democracy. Fully implementing this law and passing the Voting Rights for All Act during the next legislative session are critical steps toward ensuring justice‑impacted people, including those who remain incarcerated, have a voice in the laws that govern our lives. Maryland cannot claim to defend democracy while denying so many the right to participate in it.”
