SB 534 Maryland Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Election Law - Election Judges - Compensation

SB 534 requires local election boards in Maryland to pay election judges only *after* they serve on election day or early voting day, rather than upfront for training. It sets minimum compensation at $250 per day for new judges and $350 per day for returning judges (an additional $100), plus $50 for completing required training. Public school students can now earn service-learning graduation hours while also receiving election judge pay. The bill changes existing election law to ensure payments align with actual service and affects local election boards, all election judges, and eligible public school students. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 24, 2025 Last action Mar 26, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Election Law - Election Judges - Compensation → Third - Election Law - Election Judges - Compensation · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amendment clarifies and reorganizes election judge compensation rules, adding a definition for 'returning election judges' and adjusting how compensation is structured. The changes include moving the definition of 'compensation' and 'returning election judge' to clearer sections and modifying how public school students can earn both service-learning hours and compensation for serving as election judges.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on election judge compensation, but the structure of how compensation is defined and paid has been reorganized for clarity.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'returning election judge' to clarify that these are judges who served in the immediately preceding statewide election.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the language regarding public school students to clarify they can both earn service-learning graduation hours and receive compensation for serving as election judges.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized the compensation structure to clearly separate payment for completed training courses from payment for actual service days, with specific amounts for returning versus non-returning judges.

TECHNICAL

Added committee report status, adoption date, and signature lines for governor and legislative officers, indicating the bill has progressed through the legislative process.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 28, 2025

How they voted

41–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 46

Feb 28, 2025

D Democratic33

28 Yea 5

84% Yea

R Republican13

13 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Committee

Referred Ways and Means

lower

Mar 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (41-0-5)

senate

Jan 24, 2025

Committee

First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors