Election reform had momentum heading into Maryland’s 2021 legislative session after voters overwhelmingly embraced absentee ballots, early voting and ballot drop-off boxes during the state’s highly unconventional 2020 election cycle. A slew of ambitious reforms were introduced — including an unsuccessful push to make mail-in voting the default option and attempts to reform the State Board of Elections — but only a few made it to the finish line and the most consequential bills became law without a signature from Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).
