S.B. 6

VETOES

WHEREAS, Over the course of the summer and fall of 1995, the Task Force to
Review the State's Election Law received considerable testimony from individuals
involved in the State's election process; and

WHEREAS, The comments and testimony of State and local election law officials
and other individuals involved in the administration and enforcement of the election laws
consistently affirmed that a comprehensive, substantive revision of Article 33 of the
Annotated Code is required in order to remove archaic provisions and resolve omissions
and contradictions that exist in the current law; and

WHEREAS, The usual Code Revision process is limited to making stylistic,
restructuring, nonsubstantive changes in the law, but not substantive revisions; and

WHEREAS, A major substantive revision of Article 33 is required to make the law
comport with the needs of modern election administration, to make the law mesh with the
realities of current and future technologies, and to clarify the respective roles of election
boards and professional administrators at the local and State level; and

WHEREAS, The Task Force did not have the time needed to accomplish the level
of significant rewriting of the election law that is so urgently required; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 41 - Governor - Executive and Administrative Departments

18-309.

(A)    THERE IS A COMMISSION TO REVISE THE ELECTION CODE.

(B)     THE COMMISSION SHALL BE COMPOSED OF NINE MEMBERS APPOINTED
AS FOLLOWS:

(1)     TWO INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF DELEGATES AND ONE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES;

(2)     TWO INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE OF MARYLAND AND ONE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATED BY THE MINORITY
LEADER OF THE SENATE; AND

(3)     THREE INDIVIDUALS DESIGNATED BY THE GOVERNOR. AT LEAST
ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE A MEMBER OF THE MINORITY PARTY.

(C)     THE GOVERNOR SHALL DESIGNATE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
COMMISSION.

(D)    A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION MAY NOT RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR
SERVING ON THE COMMISSION, BUT IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR
EXPENSES UNDER THE STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN
THE STATE BUDGET.

(E)     THE COMMISSION SHALL:

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