Annapolis, MD — This week, while Americans marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights advocate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Larry Hogan inexplicably refused to sign the Secure and Accessible Registration Act (SARA)—legislation to expand the voting franchise and ensure access to the ballot box for more Marylanders.
“Our Democratic legislators are building on Dr. King’s legacy of civil and voting rights by making it easier for more Marylanders to participate in our democracy,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “Exercising the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, so it’s inexplicable that Larry Hogan is unwilling to join Democrats who are increasing Marylanders’ access to the ballot box.”
The bill will streamline the voter registration process by requiring state agencies, including the State Board of Elections, Motor Vehicle Administration and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, to create an automatic voter registration system, and to provide all unenrolled eligible Maryland voters with a voter registration form to those individuals.