Gov. Wes Moore signed the Voting Rights Act of 2026 into law Tuesday morning.
The bill was sponsored by Maryland Delegate Greg Wims, who represents the Germantown, Montgomery Village and Clarksburg areas.
“This ensures that every voice will be heard. Every voice will be counted,” Moore said during the signing ceremony in Annapolis.
It “removes barriers to the ballot box by prohibiting any method of electing a county or municipal governing body that creates polarized voting or dilutes the votes of a protected class,” according to a news release from Moore’s office.
Moore praised the state Legislative Black Caucus, the Legal Defense Fund and Wims, who has been fighting for voting rights for as long as he can remember.
Wims’ commitment began in 1971 when as President of the Maryland Youth Commission, he helped lower the voting age from 21. He was instrumental in helping Randolph Cane become the first Black to represent Maryland’s Eastern Shore during the 1990s.
“For over 40 years. I’ve been in the forefront to fight for voting rights for all,” Wims told MCM the day before the bill signing. “Maryland is so diverse. We want to make sure that everyone has an equal vote,” he said, adding. “”We want to make sure everyone has a chance.”
Following the signing, he proudly accepted the pen that House Speaker Josaline Peña-Melnyk used to sign the bill into law.
The bill enables any person or organization discriminated against by the state or local board of elections and municipalities to sue, he said.
It is important for municipal officials to realize they could be sued, Wims said, calling his bill “proactive.”
