[MD-AtLarge] Update: Electronic Ballot Return - SB 0488 and HB 645

[Maryland President]

Hi All,
Unfortunately, we have not had significant success on our Electronic Ballot
Return bills in the General Assembly, SB 488 and HB 645.  The House Ways and
Means Committee referred HB 645 to Summer Study, which means they wish to
study the study.  We met with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee to
understand their rationale, and they believe this was the only way to
salvage the bill this session.  They shared that they have received
tremendous pressure from those who are concerned about security.  We argued
that one major purpose of the bill was to actually assess security risks
related to electronic ballot return, but the misinformation campaign appears
to have prevailed.  

Nonetheless, the Committee Chair and Vice Chair committed that their summer
study would assess all of the same things that the bill itself would have
assessed, that it'd be fair, thorough, and neutral, and that the result will
be the ability to develop a game plan for us to vote privately and
independently.  We have decided to see what they do, because we're no worse
off than if the bill went nowhere.

The Senate has yet to do anything on SB 488, though the Education, Energy,
and Environment Committee failed to issue a report - favorable or
unfavorable by the cross-over deadline, which essentially renders the bill
dead in the Senate.  This is extremely disappointing, and the lack of any
action on the part of the EEE Committee shows their continued disregard for
our civil rights - this is the same committee that did nothing for four
years on our in-person voting discrimination problems to the point we
eventually had to sue the Board of Elections to get the Maryland court to do
something.  The Senate has failed in its basic duty to ensure our right to
participate in the voting process, and we will let them know of our
displeasure in a myriad of ways, including on Election Day!  We will say
though, that President Ferguson and his staff have really tried hard to move
this issue forward, and we are grateful to him.  Nonetheless, while we can't
vote privately or independently, we will still vote, regardless of the
obstacles in our path!

We are exploring our options, and we commit to fighting to ensure that blind
and low vision Marylanders will be able to vote privately and independently
through electronic ballot return.  The fight has only just begun!

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin


Ronza Othman, President
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
443-426-4110
Pronouns: she, her, hers

-----Original Message-----
From: president at nfbmd.org <president at nfbmd.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 7:28 PM
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Subject: Progress on Guide Dog Bill

Hi everyone, we have some significant progress on our guide dog protection
in housing legislation. The Senate Judicial  Proceedings Committee has voted
the bill out of the committee with a favorable report. That means in the
next few days, the bill will be considered by the full Maryland senate. The
Senate will have two opportunities to consider the bill and debate it. If,
on the second review, they vote to adopt it, it will then move over to the
House of Delegates for their consideration. We will keep you posted as
things progress, and hopefully things will move quickly now 

Ronza Othman, President
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
443-426-4110
Sent from my iPhone