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passed in the legislative session in 1967.
I believe that is correct.
It would simply establish the principle
that if you are a citizen, if you are a quali-
fied voter in Maryland, and you move from
one legislative district to another, if the
registration books are open, you will have
a right to register at the area of your new
residence even though yon have lived there
less than three months.
Now, it certainly seems logical that you
should vote at your point of residence, if
you have moved into a new area, if that
is where your future life is going to be.
Does it make any sense that you should of
necessity go back to your old residence and
vote in an area, possibly on bond issues, in
the place you have actually abandoned as
your residence?
The secondary reason is from the stand-
point of administration of the election laws.
There is great confusion where there is a
transfer at approximately election time.
A secondary reason is that where there
is a transfer of voting around election
time, especially when the transfer is ob-
tained just before a three-month period,
there is a removal from the books at the
point of transfer and then — speaking of a
registration in the new area after three
months started — there is a great likelihood
that you cannot vote in the new point of
residence. You cannot vote in the old point
of residence because your name has been
removed from the registration books.
This is a change recommended by the
Association of Supervisors of Elections and
is a practical one, sound in principle, in my
opinion.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Ross.
DELEGATE KOSS: Mr. Chairman, fel-
low delegates, I would like to make one or
two remarks and then, if I might, yield to
Delegate Rybczynski who was Chairman of
the subcommittee. First of all, the number
involved here is quite small, in terms of
the voters who find themselves in this posi-
tion.
Secondly, I think that what you are doing
here is tying a constitutional provision to
a legislative act.
The dates for registration are within the
power of the General Assembly to estab-
lish, and it is conceivable with all the
modern equipment that we are hearing
about, that the process of registration and
the need for closing the books might set
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the date for closing registration at three
days or four days before the election.
At this point, if I may, I would like to
yield to Delegate Rybczynski.
THE CHAIRMAN: You cannot yield un-
til somebody else has spoken. Does any
other delegate desire to speak in favor of
the amendment? If not, the Chair recog-
nizes Delegate Rybczynski.
DELEGATE RYBCZYNSKI: Mr. Chair-
man, ladies and gentlemen of the Commit-
tee, we studied their problem very care-
fully and we went a little further than
Delegate James in our reasoning. We find
that persons who are voting should be
given some opportunity to become familiar
with their candidates and anything less
than three months almost seems ridiculous
as a time to give people in which to know
who their candidates are, who the better
candidates are for whom they should be
voting.
Please keep in mind this denies the vote
to no one. As was pointed out by Delegate
James, people can go back to their old
district to vote so no one is denied a vote.
There was also the other thing that
troubled us terribly, particularly now with
the single-member districts. In anticipa-
tion of that we studied this matter. Should
a group decide to register promptly within
a single member district, they could very
well control, or at least swing a vote,
without anyone knowing, and possibly be
in a position to carry a delegate or a sena-
tor. Please keep in mind that people can
vote unless specifically challenged. As long
as they are on the books, no one challenges
whether they live in the district or not.
They can vote and cause a swing in the
election.
For all these reasons, and we considered
everything, we do honestly believe that the
three-month provision is a good one and
it should stay.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Chabot.
DELEGATE CHABOT: Mr. Chairman,
will Delegate James yield for a question?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate James?
DELEGATE JAMES: Yes.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Chabot.
DELEGATE CHABOT: Delegate James,
would you be 'willing to change the time
for closing registration to thirty days
prior to the election, which I understand is
the county deadline in at least eight states.
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