§ 3-504. Information from other agencies; death verification and removal from statewide voter registration list

MD Elec Law Code § 3-504 (2019) (N/A)
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(a)    (1)    (i)    Information from the agencies specified in this paragraph shall be reported to the State Administrator in a format and at times prescribed by the State Board.

(ii)    The Maryland Department of Health shall report the names and residence addresses (if known) of all individuals at least 16 years of age reported deceased within the State since the date of the last report.

(iii)    The clerk of the circuit court for each county and the administrative clerk for each District Court shall report the names and addresses of all individuals convicted, in the respective court, of a felony since the date of the last report.

(iv)    The clerk of the circuit court for each county shall report the former and present names and residence addresses (if known) of all individuals whose names have been changed by decree or order of the court since the date of the last report.

(2)    The State Administrator shall make arrangements with the clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to receive reports of names and addresses, if available, of individuals convicted of a felony in that court.

(3)    The State Administrator shall make arrangements with the United States Social Security Administration or an entity that receives information from the Social Security Administration and is approved by the State Administrator to receive reports of names and addresses, if available, of all Maryland residents at least 16 years of age who are reported deceased.

(b)    (1)    The State Administrator shall transmit to the appropriate local board information gathered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(2)    Every agency or instrumentality of any county which acquires or condemns or razes or causes to be condemned or razed any building used as a residence within the county shall promptly report this fact and the location of the building to the local board in the county or city.

(3)    Registration cancellation information provided by an applicant on any voter registration application shall be provided to the appropriate local board by the State Administrator or another local board.

(4)    A local board may:

(i)    make arrangements to receive change of address information from an entity approved by the State Board; and

(ii)    pay a reasonable fee to the entity for the information.

(c)    (1)    (i)    Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, whenever a local board becomes aware of an obituary or any other reliable report of the death of a registered voter, the election director shall mail a notice to the registered voter, as prescribed by the State Board, to verify whether the voter is in fact deceased.

(ii)    On receipt of a verification of the death of a voter, provided in accordance with the notice mailed under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the election director may remove the voter from the statewide voter registration list under § 3–501 of this subtitle.

(2)    (i)    Whenever a local board receives a report obtained by the State Administrator under subsection (a)(3) of this section that includes a registered voter, the election director shall mail to the address shown on the statewide voter registration list, by regular U.S. mail, a notice that:

1.    states that the registered voter has been reported by the Social Security Administration to have died; and

2.    notifies the registered voter or a person attending the affairs of a deceased voter that the voter will be removed from the statewide voter registration list unless, within 2 weeks after the date of the letter, the registered voter or a representative:

A.    objects to the removal; and

B.    shows cause why the removal should not proceed.

(ii)    If the registered voter or a representative timely objects and shows cause why the removal should not proceed, the election director may:

1.    terminate the removal process and retain the registered voter on the statewide voter registration list; or

2.    refer the matter to the local board for a hearing to determine the registered voter’s status.

(iii)    If the registered voter or a representative fails to timely object and show cause why the removal should not proceed, the registration shall be canceled and the registered voter removed from the statewide voter registration list.