Committee approves three-county curbside voting pilot with accessibility signage requirement

The Ways and Means Committee on March 11 approved House Bill 317 as amended to establish a curbside voting pilot program in three counties for the 2026 and 2028 elections.

The pilot requires one curbside voting location in each selected county during early voting and on election day, and the amendments direct the State Board of Elections to emphasize in public communications, including signage at curbside voting locations, that curbside voting is primarily an accommodation for voters with disabilities, voters with limited mobility and elderly voters.

Mr. Ward, who described the bill to the committee, said the pilot will be limited to three counties selected by the State Board of Elections and will establish one curbside voting location per county during early voting and on election day. "The amendments require the State Board of Elections to emphasize in communications with the public, including signage, at curbside voting locations, that curbside voting is primarily an accommodation for voters with disabilities, voters with limited mobility, and elderly voters," Mr. Ward told the committee.

Committee member Delegate Hartman asked about local implementation costs and staffing. "So with the, as amended, is there any idea as to how much additional resource the counties will need, to implement this?" Hartman asked. Mr. Ward replied: "The fiscal note speaks to that, and the amendment shouldn't change the fiscal note, really at all. But it is alluded to in the fiscal note in some detail. As far as... No, we don't know how many people are gonna use it." He added that the pilot will include one small county, one medium county and one large county and that the fiscal note discusses potential local costs, including additional election judges, but does not provide definitive staffing numbers.

The committee approved the amendments and then voted the bill favorably as amended.