House Republicans today announced two measures that will be offered in the 2026 Legislative Session to protect Maryland’s elections from voter fraud. This includes a bill to require photo identification to vote, and legislation requiring the Maryland Board of Elections to verify the citizenship of voters utilizing the federal SAVE program.
Delegate Bob Long (District 6 – Baltimore County) will offer a bill requiring a voter to present a valid, government-issued photo identification to vote. If the voter does not possess a government-issued ID, they are permitted to present a valid non-governmental photo identification, along with a current utility bill, bank statement, or other official document that includes the voter’s name and address. Individuals unable to provide identification will be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 36 states have laws that request or require voters to show some type of identification when they go to vote. Delegate Long has been the lead sponsor of voter-ID measures since 2022.
“It is important that our citizens have confidence in their election process,” said Delegate Long, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which considers changes to Maryland’s election laws and procedures. “With the Board of Elections refusing to cooperate with questions from the Department of Justice and the news that an illegal immigrant was able to register to vote in Maryland, people are losing faith in the security of our voting system. Hopefully, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will be more receptive to this measure in the coming legislative session. Legislation like this helps restore our citizens’ faith in the most important tool of our democracy, free and fair elections.”
“Delegate Long has been a committed leader on election reform for years, and he has the credibility in the Committee and in the legislature on this matter. I appreciate his willingness to continue the fight on this critical issue,” said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel. “For decades, Republicans have been told that voter fraud does not happen in Maryland, that our election rolls are pristine, that our concerns are invalid, and in some cases, that we have the malicious intent to disenfranchise voters. None of this is true. Our members offer these bills in good faith to ensure the integrity of our elections. This should not be a partisan issue.”
Delegate Kevin Hornberger (District 35B – Cecil County) is developing the “SAVE Our Elections Act”, legislation requiring the Maryland Board of Elections to verify the citizenship of voters by utilizing the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. Not to be confused with the federal SAVE Act that is before Congress, the SAVE program is an information service that is administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that state and local governments use to verify an individual’s citizenship or immigration status to determine eligibility for state benefits, licenses, and other activities, including voter registration. Currently, 21 states utilize SAVE for voter registration and/or voter list maintenance, including Virgina and Colorado. According to the SAVE search tool, several Maryland agencies already utilize SAVE including the Department of Human Services Family Investment Administration, the Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance, the Motor Vehicle Administration, and the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. In April of this year, the Trump Administration made this service free to all state and local governments.
“Maryland law requires that an individual be a US citizen in order to register and cast a vote in state and federal elections,” said Delegate Hornberger. “As we have seen in the case of Ian Roberts, who was able to register to vote through the state’s motor voter program even though he was not a citizen, our voter registration system has some gaping holes. We have no idea how many other non-citizens are on our voter rolls. This legislation will require the Board of Elections to verify citizenship through the federal SAVE program, both at the time of voter registration and to for those already on our voter rolls, giving them yet another arrow in their quiver to ensure that those individuals who are registered to vote are citizens.”
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” said House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy. “The members of the House Republican Caucus have been fighting for election integrity for years. Our fight is not over. Citizens across our state still have serious concerns relating to voter fraud in Maryland. These bills are reasonable proposals that, if passed, will go a long way to restore our citizens’ faith in our voting system.”
Bellmyer, J. (2025, October 14). Cecil Whig, “Hornberger to introduce citizenship check for voters”, https://www.cecildaily.com/news/hornberger-to-introduce-citizenship-check-for-voters/article_c05c7f21-4b12-480b-95d5-843f23daa107.html
Dickstein, R. (2025, October 1). WMAR 2 News Baltimore. WMAR 2 News Baltimore, “Maryland Republican lawmakers demand review of voter rolls after former Baltimore principal is arrested by ICE”, https://www.wmar2news.com/infocus/maryland-republican-lawmakers-demand-review-of-voter-rolls-after-former-baltimore-principal-is-arrested-by-ice