Maryland elections chief targets 2027 legislative session with 2028 in mind

BALTIMORE — With the 2028 presidential election on the horizon, Maryland’s elections administrator wants lawmakers to use next year’s legislative session to address prediction markets and strengthen protections for election judges, and to revisit a proposal regulating the influence of social media algorithms on elections. Jared DeMarinis says he wants those changes in place before the next presidential campaign, when he expects election-related betting and the influence of social media platforms to grow. He is particularly concerned about prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which saw more than $1.1 million in trading volume tied to Maryland elections during this year’s gubernatorial cycle, according to a Sun analysis. kAmw:D 286?52 4@>6D 27E6C AC@3=6>D 5FC:?8 E9:D J62C’D 6=64E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]32=E:>@C6DF?]4@>^a_ae^`_^`e^2??6\2CF?56=\D2>A=6\32==@ED\6CC@C^Qmbd_[___k^2m :?4@CC64E AC24E:46 32==@ED D6?E E@ p??6 pCF?56= r@F?EJ G@E6CD 2?5 2? 9@FCD=@?8 56=2J 2E 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]32=E:>@C6DF?]4@>^a_ae^``^_b^AC:?46\86@C86D\4@F?EJ\A@==\=@42E:@?\56=2JD^Qm!C:?46 v6@C86’D r@F?EJk^2m A@==:?8 A=246 3642FD6 @7 2 =24< @7 6BF:A>6?E] s6|2C:?:D 2=D@ 72465 DFDA:4:@FD =6EE6CD D6?E E@ 6=64E:@? @77:4:2=D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ[ :?4=F5:?8 9:D @77:46 2?5 >6>36CD @7 |2CJ=2?5’D 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 56=682E:@?]k^Am kAmk6>m%9:D 4@?G6CD2E:@? 92D 366? 65:E65 7@C 3C6G:EJ 2?5 4=2C:EJ]k^6>mk^Am kAmkDEC@?8m(92E 6=64E:@?\C6=2E65 :DDF6D 5@ J@F A=2? E@ E2<6 E@ E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J :? a_afnk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAmx H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 AC@E64E E96 6=64E:@? ;F586D >@C6] x’G6 D66? D@>6 92C2DD>6?E :? @E96C DE2E6D C682C5:?8 6=64E:@? ;F586D] (6 92G6 2 3:== E92E H:== 5@ E92E]k^Am kAm!C65:4E:@? >2C<6ED[ x’> DE:== H2:E:?8 7@C 2 C6DA@?D6 7C@> E96 ~77:46 @7 E96 $E2E6 !C@D64FE@C @? E92E >2EE6C] x D2H 2 C646?E 2CE:4=6 23@FE 9@H >F49 H2D 36E[ 6G6? E9@F89 :E H2D AC@9:3:E65] x’> 8@:?8 E@ 8@ E@ E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 E92E 86ED 255C6DD65 3642FD6 x 5@ ?@E 36=:6G6 E92E AC65:4E:@? >2C<6ED D9@F=5 36 :?G@=G65 :? 6=64E:@?D] (6’G6 925 E9:D <:?5 @7 =2H @? E96 3@@6D 92D ?6G6C 366? 2 8@@5 :562[ 2?5 D9@F=5 C6>2:? 2 325 :562]k^Am kAmxE’D =:E6C2==J @? J@FC A9@?6j :E’D @? 6G6CJ 7665 E92E J@F’C6 :?] %96C6 2C6 25D 7@C :E[ 2?5 :E’D ;FDE E@@ 62DJ] x? a_ag[ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 6G6? 4C2K:6C] (96? J@F 92G6 2 AC6D:56?E:2= 6=64E:@?[ 6G6CJ@?6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 E2=<:?8 23@FE :E]k^Am kAmp55:E:@?2==J[ 2D H6 >@G6 :?E@ E96 a_ag 6=64E:@?[ E96C6 H2D 2 =@E @7 E2=< 23@FE E96 FD6 @7 2=8@C:E9>D 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2] x7 E96D6 >65:2 A=2E7@C>D 2C6 FD:?8 E96> :? 2 H2J E@ 2>A=:7J DA6649 @C 564C62D6 DA6649[ :D E92E 2? :?\<:?5 4@?EC:3FE:@?n xD E92E 2? :?56A6?56?E 6IA6?5:EFC6nk^Am kAmkDEC@?8m%9:D J62C’D 6=64E:@? 6IA@D65 D@>6 AC@3=6>D :? =@42= 6=64E:@? 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 :?4@CC64E AC24E:46 32==@ED :? p??6 pCF?56= r@F?EJ 2?5 =@?8 56=2JD 2E 2 !C:?46 v6@C86’D r@F?EJ A@==:?8 A=246] (92E ?665D E@ 492?86 E@ AC6G6?E D:>:=2C AC@3=6>D :? a_agnk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAmx E9:?< >@C6 @G6CD:89E @7 E96 =@42=D] ~G6CD:89E >62?D G6C:7:42E:@? @7 E96 5FE:6D A6C7@C>65 E@ 6?DFC6 >@C6 4@?7:56?46 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ :? E96 AC@46DD] x’> @7 E96 A9:=@D@A9J H96C6 H6’C6 2== :? E9:D E@86E96C[ E96 =@42=D 2?5 E96 DE2E6] x? @C56C E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E A6@A=6 92G6 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 DJDE6>[ H6 2== <:?5 @7 D:?< @C DH:> 2D 2 F?:E E@86E96C]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8mw2G6 E9C62ED 282:?DE 6=64E:@? @77:46D 27764E65 J@F @C J@FC DE277nk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAmxE ;FDE DEC6?8E96?D >J C6D@=G6 3642FD6 2== E96J H2?E E@ 5@ :D 42FD6 492@D[ 5:D6?7C2?49:D6 G@E6CD — D@>6E9:?8 E92E :D 2?E:E96E:42= E@ @FC 56>@4C24J[ E@ E96 7@F?5:?8 @7 @FC 4@F?ECJ] %92E’D H9J x 42>6 @FE D@ DEC@?8=J 282:?DE E9@D6 4@H2C5D H9@ 5@ E9:D 24E:@? 96C6] %96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 72:=]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m(96? J@F E@@< E9:D ;@3[ 5:5 J@F 6IA64E E9@D6 E9C62ED 2?5 D64FC:EJ 4@?46C?Dnk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm}@] (6 92G6 E@ E2<6 2 =@@< 2E A9JD:42= D64FC:EJ 2?5 4J36CD64FC:EJ] *@F ;FDE H6?E E9C@F89 >J @77:46 96C6j E92E’D 2== 3C2?5 ?6H] (6 92G6 D6A2C2E:@? 36EH66? E96 AF3=:4 :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 FD] (6 92G6 E@ 36 5:=:86?E 2?5 92G6 D@>6 D2768F2C5D 3642FD6 H6’G6 D66? 2EE242<6 DFC6 E92E 6G6CJ@?6 :D D276 2?5 D64FC6 :? E96:C H@C< 6?G:C@?>6?E]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m(92E AC@E64E:@?D 5@ J@F H2?E 7@C 6=64E:@? ;F586Dnk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm|2<:?8 DFC6 E92E E96:C A6CD@??6= 7:=6D 2C6 D276 2?5 D64FC6 E@ AC6G6?E 5@I:?8 2?5 92C2DD>6?E] %96J D9@F=5 36 EC62E65 >@C6 =:<6 A6CD@??6= C64@C5D] %96J 2C6 86EE:?8 A2:5j E96J 2C6 5@:?8 2 D6CG:46 7@C E96 DE2E6] xE’D 8C62E E92E E96J 4@>6 @FE 2?5 96=A FD] q642FD6 H:E9@FE E96 ?62C=J ae[___ 6=64E:@? ;F586D[ H6 H@F=5 ?@E 36 23=6 E@ AFE @? E96 6=64E:@?]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m(92E 6=D6 H@F=5 J@F =:<6 E@ 244@>A=:D9 2D DE2E6 6=64E:@?D 25>:?:DEC2E@Cnk^DEC@?8mk^Am kAmx 2=H2JD H2?E65 E@ 4C62E6 2? 6=64E:@? >FD6F>] x E9:?< |2CJ=2?5 :D E96 A6C764E A=246 7@C :E] x E9:?< F?56CDE2?5:?8 9@H H6 G@E65[ E96 C2E:@?2=6 369:?5 :E[ 2?5 E96 6IA2?D:@? @7 @FC C:89ED :D :>A@CE2?E] %96 5:776C6?E 6BF:A>6?E[ 92?8:?8 4925D — 2== E92E D9@F=5?’E 8@ 3J E96 H2JD:56] xE D9@F=5 36 AC@>:?6?E :? A6@A=6’D E9@F89ED]k^Am kAm\\\\\\\\\\\k^Am