Annapolis, MD — As Marylanders struggle with rising costs for housing, healthcare, and everyday essentials, Everyone Votes MD, a coalition of voting and civil rights organizations, is calling on state lawmakers to advance voting rights legislation that address the affordability crisis by guaranteeing every Marylander has an equal voice in the economic policies that impact their communities.  

Nationwide, an overwhelming majority of Americans (75%) say the U.S. political system needs major reforms or a complete overhaul.  

“Kitchen table issues and your access to the ballot box go hand in hand,” said Joanne Antoine, Common Cause’s Maryland Executive Director, on behalf of the Everyone Votes MD Coalition. “When everyday Marylanders are shut out of the democratic process, corporations and wealthy special interests can protect policies that benefit their bottom line, not working families. You can’t have affordable communities without an accessible democracy. Fair maps, accessible voting, and restored voting rights aren’t just abstract concepts – they’re the foundation for an economy that works for everyone, not just the powerful few.” 

“Our democratic system only works if the right to vote is protected,” said Dara Johnson, Interim Policy Counsel and Associate Staff Attorney at ACLU of Maryland. “As we face the reality of ongoing attacks that threaten to further dismantle our nation’s longstanding federal protections, the Maryland Voting Rights Act (MDVRA) is urgently needed to give Maryland’s diverse communities a better way to safeguard their votes in local elections. Lawmakers have an extraordinary opportunity this year to show leadership and pass this critical legislation addressing race-based vote dilution, voter intimidation and voter suppression at a local level. Having our own tools to overcome these issues is pivotal for Marylanders and without them – our democracy may only exist in name.” 

Everyone Votes MD’s legislative priorities for this session include:  

• Maryland Voting Rights Act (SB 255/HB 340 and HB 219): By empowering marginalized communities, ensuring every vote counts equally and banning voter intimidation and suppression, this legislation ensures all Marylanders can have a say in the policies that impact them.  

• Voting Rights for All Act (SB 89/HB 52): More than 16,000 Marylanders are banned from voting while serving a prison or jail term for a felony conviction. The Voting Rights for All Act would allow people impacted by the criminal justice system to have a voice in reforms that address economic inequality and can lead to overincarceration.  

• Curbside Voting Pilot Program: This legislation would create accessible voting options for people with disabilities and mobility challenges.  

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The Everyone Votes Maryland Coalition is a group of good government, civil rights, environmental, labor, and grassroots organizations working toward increasing access to the ballot in Maryland.