State Elections Board To Remove Gender ID From Registration Forms

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Maryland State Board of Elections has revamped its voter registration forms to remove gender identification. Voters will be able to select "X" or "unspecified" as a gender option when filling out the forms. This move comes on the heels of the state allowing Marylanders to choose a third option for gender on their driver's licenses.

According to CBS Baltimore, election officials say the change can be implemented without the government incurring additional costs. Any paper voter registration forms with the options of "male" and "female" will be used until they run out, then they will use the new forms that offer the third option.

The state elections board voted unanimously to support the change.

Marylanders responded negatively to a poll gauging their support for the driver's license change using an "X" for gender. The Baltimore Sun reported in the spring that a poll from Gonzales Research & Media Services found only 37 percent supported the change, which allows individuals who identify as transgender or nonbinary could select "X" to designate "unspecified or other" instead of male or female.