BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor

5

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 33 — Election Code

Section 3-20 (a)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1976 Replacement Volume and 1977 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 33 - Election Code

3-20.

(a) (1) If a registered voter has not voted at
least once at a primary, general or special election within
the five preceding calendar years, it shall be the duty of
the board or the board of permanent registry unless cause to
the contrary be shown, to cause the registration of that
voter to be cancelled by removing the registration cards or
forms of the voter from the original and duplicate files and
placing them in a transfer file. In the cities of
Hagerstown and Frederick voting in a municipal election
during this period will satisfy the requirements of this
section. A notice of this action and the reason therefor
shall be sent to the last known address of the voter,
notifying him to appear before the board at a date specified
in the notice not earlier than one week or later than two
weeks from the date of mailing of the notice, and to show
cause why his name should not be removed from the registry.
[In addition, in Baltimore City the names and last known
street addresses of those voters whose registration is to be
cancelled shall be published in a local newspaper of general
circulation one month prior to the date of removal.]

(2) LISTS CONTAINING THE NAMES AND LAST KNOWN
STREET ADDRESSES OF THOSE VOTERS WHOSE REGISTRATION IS TO BE
CANCELLED SHALL BE MACE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST 30 DAYS PRIOR
TO THE DATE OF REMOVAL. ANY BOARD MAY CHARGE REASONABLE
FEES FOR SUCH LISTS BUT THE RATE MAY NOT EXCEED 1/2 CENT PER
NAME AND ADDRESS.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is
hereby declared to be an emergency measure and necessary for
the immediate preservation of the public health and safety
and having been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by
three—fifths of all the members elected to each of the two
Houses of tie General Assembly, the same shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved February 20, 1978.