1. (a)

   1. (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

   2. (2) “County attorney” means:

      1. (i) the attorney or law department established by a county charter or local law to represent the county generally, including its legislative and executive officers; or
      2. (ii) if the county charter or local laws provide for different attorneys to represent the legislative and executive branches of county government, the attorney designated to represent the county legislative body.

   3. (3) “Municipal attorney” means:

      1. (i) the attorney or law department established by a municipal charter or local law to represent the municipal corporation generally, including its legislative and executive officers; or
      2. (ii) if the municipal charter or local laws provide for different attorneys to represent the legislative and executive branches of municipal government, the attorney designated to represent the municipal legislative body.

2. (b) Each question shall appear on the ballot containing the following information:

   1. (1) a question number or letter as determined under subsection (d) of this section;
   2. (2) a brief designation of the type or source of the question;
   3. (3) a brief title in boldface type that describes the topic, goal, or outcome of the ballot question;

   4. (4) a condensed statement describing the change in policy to be adopted in plain and clear language that:

      1. (i) a voter can easily understand;
      2. (ii) does not explain the legal mechanism providing for the policy change; and
      3. (iii) does not contain legal jargon or use double negatives or the passive voice;
   5. (5) the voting choices that the voter has; and
   6. (6) a brief statement explaining what the practical outcome of each voting choice would be.

3. (c)

   1. (1) On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the Secretary of State shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section, for all statewide ballot questions and all questions relating to an enactment of the General Assembly which is petitioned to referendum.
   2. (2) On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the State Board shall prepare and certify to the appropriate local board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for all questions that have been referred to the voters of one county or part of one county pursuant to an enactment of the General Assembly.

   3. (3)

      1. (i) On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the county attorney of the appropriate county shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for each question to be voted on in a single county or part of a county, except a question covered by paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this subsection.
      2. (ii) If the information required under subsection (b) of this section has not been timely certified under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the clerk of the circuit court for the jurisdiction shall prepare and certify that information to the State Board not later than the first Friday in August.

   4. (4)

      1. (i) On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the municipal attorney of the appropriate municipal corporation shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for each question to be voted on in the municipal corporation, except a question covered by paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection.
      2. (ii) If the information required under subsection (b) of this section has not been timely certified under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which the municipal corporation is located shall prepare and certify that information to the State Board not later than the first Friday in August.

   5. (5)

      1. (i) The State Board shall make the information submitted in accordance with this subsection available to the public for a 15-day comment period.

      2. (ii) On or before the fourth day immediately following the end of the comment period required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the person required to prepare a question under paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection shall:

         1. 1. review the comments received during the comment period and make any necessary changes to the question; and
         2. 2. submit the certified plain text of the question to the State Board for publication on its website under § 9-207 of this article.
   6. (6) The information required under subsection (b) of this section for a question that is being placed on the ballot by petition may be prepared before the petition is certified under § 6-208 of this article.

4. (d)

   1. (1) Each statewide question and each question relating to an enactment of the General Assembly which is petitioned to referendum shall be assigned a numerical identifier in the following order:

      1. (i) by years of sessions of the General Assembly at which enacted; and
      2. (ii) for each such session, by chapter numbers of the Session Laws of that session.
   2. (2) A question that has been referred to the voters of one county or part of one county pursuant to an enactment of the General Assembly shall be assigned an alphabetical identifier in an order established by the State Board.
   3. (3) Questions certified under subsection (c)(3)(i) or (ii) or (c)(4)(i) or (ii) of this section shall be assigned an alphabetical or alphanumeric identifier in an order established by the certifying authority in consultation with the State Board to prevent duplication or confusion, consistent with and following the questions certified by the State Board.

Added as Art. 33, § 7-104, by Acts 1998, c. 585, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1999. Renumbered as Art. 33, § 7-103, by Acts 2001, c. 49, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2001. Amended by Acts 2001, c. 49, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2001; Acts 2002, c. 19, § 1, eff. April 9, 2002. Transferred to Election Law § 7-103 by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2003; Acts 2006, c. 120, § 1, eff. April 25, 2006; Acts 2014, c. 501, § 1, eff. July 1, 2014; Acts 2019, c. 770, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019; Acts 2026, c. 439, § 1, eff. June 1, 2026.

Formerly Art. 33, § 7-103.