Maryland House Bill 1212 - Voter Registration List - Right to Opt Out of the Sale of PII (North Beach: for sale, how much)

[NJ2MDdude]

NBP - state legislation is your area of expertise. The bill, which died in April 2023, imposed a restriction on the sale of personally identifiable information of MD voters by the State of Maryland. Do you have any clue as to why it failed?

https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1567661

Bill Summary
AN ACT concerning Election Law - Voter Registration List - Right to Opt Out of the Sale of Personally Identifiable Information FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Elections to establish, by regulation, a process by which an individual may opt out of the sale of personally identifiable information in the individual’s voter registration record to any person other than an employee or a vendor of the State Board or a local board; prohibiting personal information in an individual’s voter registration record from being sold under certain provisions of law if the individual has opted out of the sale; and generally relating to the statewide voter registration list. BY adding to Article - Election Law Section 3-101.1 Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Election Law Section 3-506 Annotated Code of Maryland (2022 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement)

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/hb/hb1212f.pdf

[North Beach Person]

Thank you for the compliment.

I do not know but I'll hazard a guess. Voter registration lists have several uses for election campaigns. From voter outreach to targeting mailings to determining where to concentrate resources.

You may have had Legislators who didn't believe that information protection trumped those uses.

I know I've used registration lists in the past to tie down voters (or more often to find out if somebody is even registered to vote when they start complaining about how they supported me and I have to do what they tell me to. Most times they weren't even registered to vote).

[G1..]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Thank you for the compliment.

I do not know but I'll hazard a guess. Voter registration lists have several uses for election campaigns. From voter outreach to targeting mailings to determining where to concentrate resources.

You may have had Legislators who didn't believe that information protection trumped those uses.

I know I've used registration lists in the past to tie down voters (or more often to find out if somebody is even registered to vote when they start complaining about how they supported me and I have to do what they tell me to. Most times they weren't even registered to vote).

Sorry just struck me as funny.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Thank you for the compliment.

I do not know but I'll hazard a guess. Voter registration lists have several uses for election campaigns. From voter outreach to targeting mailings to determining where to concentrate resources.

You may have had Legislators who didn't believe that information protection trumped those uses.

I know I've used registration lists in the past to tie down voters (or more often to find out if somebody is even registered to vote when they start complaining about how they supported me and I have to do what they tell me to. Most times they weren't even registered to vote).

Do you think voter information is available for sale to non-political entities?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

Do you think voter information is available for sale to non-political entities?

Anyone can go in and get the voter registration lists for a jurisdiction right now, you don't need to be affiliated with a candidate or campaign. Voter roles are by definition "public information".

It used to be hard copies, now they're usually on a CD.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Anyone can go in and get the voter registration lists for a jurisdiction right now, you don't need to be affiliated with a candidate or campaign. Voter roles are by definition "public information".

It used to be hard copies, now they're usually on a CD.

Not sure how the State defines "public information," but, imo, if it's not "free," then it's private, like an online subscription to a newspaper, and accessible to any person willing to pay a fee for the information. I don't have issue with this, as long as there's a public purpose associated with the use of voter information.

[G1..]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

Not sure how the State defines "public information," but, imo, if it's not "free," then it's private, like an online subscription to a newspaper, and accessible to any person willing to pay a fee for the information. I don't have issue with this, as long as there's a public purpose associated with the use of voter information.

Unless I grant permission , it's my info and should not be sold if I don't want it to be, Just MO,

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

Not sure how the State defines "public information," but, imo, if it's not "free," then it's private, like an online subscription to a newspaper, and accessible to any person willing to pay a fee for the information. I don't have issue with this, as long as there's a public purpose associated with the use of voter information.

It isn't "free" per se, there are administrative costs charged associated with preparing it.

Originally Posted by G1..

Unless I grant permission , it's my info and should not be sold if I don't want it to be, Just MO,

Have you ever used this site:
https://sdat.dat.maryland.gov/RealPr...s/default.aspx

Pump in the address and find out what a property is assessed at, the use, how much the current owner paid for it and when, how much the last two or three owners paid, a property description.

For voter lists you have the name, address, political party and if the person has voted the last two or three election cycles.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

It isn't "free" per se, there are administrative costs charged associated with preparing it.

A nominal fee generally means it's free. I thought that would be the case, and the reason why I put the word free in quotes. I'm ok with public purposes, such as the court system obtaining a pool of potential jurists, or even receiving unwanted political campaign fundraising solicitations. But I don't like the idea of receiving unwanted solicitations from the for-profit/tax-exempt sectors as a result of the State selling my name.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

A nominal fee generally means it's free. I thought that would be the case, and the reason why I put the word free in quotes. I'm ok with public purposes, such as the court system obtaining a pool of potential jurists, or even receiving unwanted political campaign fundraising solicitations. But I don't like the idea of receiving unwanted solicitations from the for-profit/tax-exempt sectors as a result of the State selling my name.

Can you give an example of the last?

There is a lot of case law out there pertaining to public records and what is and is not allowable.