North Beach Weighs Whether The State Should Administer Its Elections

NORTH BEACH, Md. — North Beach officials are weighing whether to transfer administration of the town’s municipal elections to the state of Maryland and the Calvert County Board of Elections, a move that could shift how North Beach voters cast ballots later this year.

At a Jan. 8 work session, town administrators briefed the North Beach Town Council on options ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, municipal election, when voters will choose a mayor and six council members. Under long-standing practice, North Beach has run its own elections at Town Hall, while state and county races are handled separately by county and state officials.

Changes enacted with Maryland House Bill 322, signed into law in 2025, now give municipalities the ability to collaborate with the state administrator of elections for support services, including leasing voting equipment and using state systems to run local contests.

Town Administrator Linda Vassallo told council members that running the election independently is estimated to cost about $42,400, covering staffing, equipment and compliance requirements. Partnering with the Calvert County Board of Elections and the state, she said, could eliminate that cost entirely for North Beach.

Mayor Mike Benton noted that shifting to state administration would require drafting and approving a charter amendment before residents could vote on the change. If approved, municipal voting would take place at a consolidated location — potentially at the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department in neighboring Chesapeake Beach — instead of at town-run polling sites.

With a population under 2,000 and roughly 1,500 registered voters, North Beach faces a choice between maintaining a local, council-run electoral process and leveraging state systems to potentially save money and administrative effort. The council is expected to decide later this month after staff provides more details on logistics and legal requirements.