Maryland Voting Rights Act Bill Prohibiting Discrimination in Voting Signed into Law

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Contact:
ACLU: [email protected]
Campaign Legal Center: [email protected]
Common Cause: [email protected]
League of Women Voters of Maryland: [email protected]
Legal Defense Fund: [email protected]

After years of advocacy, the Maryland Voting Rights Act (MDVRA) coalition celebrated today as Governor Wes Moore signed SB 255, a key portion of the multi-bill Maryland Voting Rights Act package, into law.

SB 255 bans racially discriminatory local voting systems in Maryland and provides the state with the authority to take action to remedy any systems that weaken the voting power of marginalized communities. The new law addresses longstanding barriers to free and fair elections in Maryland, including unfair districts or at-large elections systems that weakened the power of Black voters. The MDVRA coalition and the bill sponsors, supported by a broad swath of civil rights organizations across Maryland and the country, were essential in getting this legislation over the finish line in the closing hours of Maryland's 2026 legislative session..

The MDVRA coalition, consisting of the ACLU of Maryland, Common Cause Maryland, Campaign Legal Center, Everyone Votes Maryland Coalition, Legal Defense Fund, League of Women Voters of Maryland, and NAACP Maryland, issued the following statement:

"Maryland voters deserve to participate in elections free from discrimination. This integral bill empowers Black voters who have been historically silenced by unfair elections systems by ensuring every vote counts equally. We are extremely proud to see these safeguards finally put into place, and we look forward to the work ahead to build a fully accessible multiracial democracy that works for all Marylanders."

"The voting rights we hold today are heirlooms fought for and secured by the generations before us, and we will not sit on the sidelines when those fundamental rights are threatened," said Governor Wes Moore. "By enacting the Voting Rights Act of 2026, Maryland is meeting this moment with the urgency it demands, removing barriers to the ballot box, and ensuring every voice in our state is heard. I want to thank the Legislative Black Caucus and the Legal Defense Fund for demanding better, putting in the work, partnering with us to get this legislation passed."

"With voting rights systematically under attack by the Trump administration, it is critical to expand protections here in Maryland," said Senator Charles E. Sydnor III, Senate sponsor of SB 255. "I'm grateful to my colleagues in the legislature for their work, the administration, and in the civil rights community for their support and tireless effort in getting this bill here today. Providing equal opportunities for fair representation is foundational for what our democracy must deliver to its voters. Today is a massive victory in the fight for full voting rights in the Free State."

"With the stroke of a pen today, Maryland voters finally received the crucial tools necessary to make discriminatory voting systems a thing of the past," said Delegate Greg Wims, House sponsor of HB 350, the crossfile of SB 255. "Voters are facing myriad threats to their foundational right to vote, with attacks seeming to come from all sides. But thanks to this bill and to the relentless work of my colleagues and advocacy partners, Marylanders are now subject to expanded voter protections that will help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity for their vote to make meaningful change."

Maryland joins a growing movement of eight other states that have enacted legislation like the MDVRA. SB 255 could not be signed at a more timely moment as the foundation of our democracy - the freedom to vote - is under attack every day at the federal level.

While this new law is an exciting victory, there's still more work to be done to implement the MDVRA in Maryland. The MDVRA coalition is dedicated to passing other portions of the full MDVRA package, including more comprehensive language access, protections against voter intimidation and vote suppression, increased election transparency, and systems that will halt discrimination before it can occur in high-risk areas.

To learn more about the full MDVRA package, visit here.

To learn more about racial vote dilution, visit here.

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