Marvin Mandel, Governor                           33

Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18; to
make certain technical corrections to the Election Code in order
to conform with the requirements of the Federal Voting Assist-
ance Act of 1955, as amended; and relating generally to making
technical corrections to the Election Code in order to conform to
federal law.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 3-4 (b), 3-5, 3-7 (b) (1) and (5), 3-18 (a) (1) and
(3), 3-24 (b) and 27-5 (b) (1) of Article 33 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1971 Replacement Volume and 1971 Supplement), title
"Election Code", subtitles "Registration of Voters—General Provi-
sions," "REGISTRATION OF VOTERS—HOW AND BY WHOM
CONDUCTED," and "Absentee Voting," be and they are hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

3-4.

(b) The constitutional qualifications of voters are the following;
each one of which is applicable to every voter:

(2) Age of [twenty-one] eighteen years or older [, except for fed-
eral offices when the age shall be eighteen years or older] ;

3-5.

[(a)] Any person who will be [twenty-one] eighteen years of age
on or before the day of any general or special election shall be entitled
to vote at such general or special election, and shall also be entitled
to vote at the primary election preceding such general or special
election, if otherwise entitled to be registered as a qualified voter.
Any such person shall be entitled to register to vote at any time
provided for registration of voters during such election year.

[(b) Any person who will be 18 years of age-on or before the day
of any general or special election shall be entitled to vote at such
general or special election for those persons seeking federal office
and shall also be entitled to vote for those persons seeking federal
office at the primary election preceding such general or special elec-
tion, if otherwise entitled to register as a qualified voter. Any such
person shall be entitled to register to vote at any time provided for
registration of voters during such election year.]

3-7.

(b) Any constitutionally qualified voter in the following categories
shall be allowed to register and reregister by casting his absentee
ballot:

(1) A member of any branch of the armed forces of the United
States or any component thereof, including those honorably dis-
charged therefrom [within] during the period beginning thirty (30)
days prior to the last registration day prior to an election and
CONTINUING UP TO AND INCLUDING the date of the election,
and including his spouse or dependents;

(5) Any citizen and resident who is continuously absent from his
county of residence, or, in the case of a resident of the City of Balti-
more, from Baltimore City for the thirty (30) days prior to the
closing of registration before any election, either of whom may apply