MD HB499

Authorizes electronic signatures on ballot petitions, requiring circulators to personally observe signers in real-time (remote witnessing prohibited) and mandating accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

Relaxes signature validation rules by allowing derivatives of given names (e.g., "Bob" for "Robert") while still requiring exact surname matches, and permits the first valid signature to count when someone signs the same petition multiple times.

Requires the State Board of Elections to adopt regulations for secure storage and use of voter data from registered voter lists.

Establishes a process for correcting technical deficiencies on invalidated signatures (missing names, addresses, or dates) by submitting new signature pages up to 85 days before the election, with election officials required to provide petition copies showing specific deficiencies within 1 business day.

Removes the prohibition on signing a petition more than once as a criminal offense, instead handling duplicates administratively by counting only the first validated signature.