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Section 5 directs attorney and manager to draft election rule, code and charter updates
Summary
The council authorized municipal counsel and the town manager to draft Election Rules, Code changes and Charter amendments to clarify deadlines, the voter-roll process, and whether to formally establish an Election Board; councilmembers discussed adopting 'mail-in ballots' terminology and the public hearing process for changes.
Municipal attorney Ron Bolt briefed the Council on June 10 about proposed updates to Section 5's election procedures following the 2025 election. Bolt recommended using the term "mail-in ballots" (saying Maryland law allows mail-in ballots for any reason), clarifying deadlines in the Code and Charter, and resolving conflicts between provisions that reference tellers, a judge, and an Election Board.
Bolt outlined the procedural path he will draft with the Town Manager and the election tellers: Election Rules that the Council can adopt by motion once the Code authorizes them; Code changes introduced as ordinances with public notice and a hearing; and Charter amendments adopted by resolution after a hearing and comment period. He noted Section 5 obtains its voter roll from Montgomery County and will continue to do so.
The Council directed Bolt and the Town Manager to prepare the drafts with input from the 2025 election tellers.
Why it matters: Clarifying the Charter, Code and election rules can reduce administrative conflicts and make deadlines and authority clearer for future elections.
