Voting in Maryland
|
|
 |
| Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies. |
The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in Maryland:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information election agencies.
- Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.
See Election administration in Maryland for additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Maryland's 2024 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration status here.
According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, to register to vote in Maryland, one must be a United States citizen and Maryland resident who is at least 16 years old. Although a 16-year-old can register to vote, he or she cannot vote in an election unless he or she will be 18 at the time of the next general election (i.e., 17-year-olds are permitted to vote in primary elections, so long as they'll be 18 by the time of the corresponding general election).[1]
Maryland allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.[1]
Voters may register online, by mail, or in person at one of the following locations:[1]
- Local board of elections
- The State Board of Elections
- Local Department of Health office
- Maryland Department of Human Services local offices
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) offices
- Local Area Agency on Aging offices
- MTA Paratransit Certification Office
- All public institutions of higher education
- Recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Marriage license offices
- Offices for students with disabilities at all Maryland colleges and universities
In-person voting
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Maryland's 2024 election cycle.
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Maryland, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Maryland does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.[3]
A voter will be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:
- The voter registered by mail and did not provide proper identification;
- The voter’s identity is challenged; or
- The voter registers to vote during early voting or changes his or her address during early voting.
The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Maryland Attorney General's voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
OR, if you do not have those forms of ID: a utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows your name and address and is less than 3 months old. If you are showing ID because you are voting for the first time, your name and address on the document must match the information on the voter registration roll.[4] |
” |
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Maryland permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Maryland's 2024 election cycle.
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maryland. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[5]
To vote absentee, an application must be received by election officials at least seven days prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must then be postmarked on or before Election Day if submitted by mail. Ballots can also be returned in person until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.[5]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
As of April 18, 2023, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon release from prison and are eligible to register to vote. This does not apply to people convicted for buying or selling votes, whose voting rights are restored only by the state governor's pardon.
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[6]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Maryland can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Maryland Local Boards of Election
Maryland State Board of Elections
- Physical Address: 151 West Street, Suite 200
- Annapolis, Maryland 21401
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6486
- Annapolis, MD 21401-0486
- Phone: 410-269-2840
- Toll free: 800-222-8683
- Fax: 410-974-2019
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.elections.state.md.us/
Secretary of State
- 16 Francis St.
- Annapolis, Maryland 21401
- Phone: 410-974-5521
- Fax: 410-974-5190
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sos.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Maryland State Ethics Commission
- 45 Calvert Street, Third Floor
- Annapolis, Maryland 21401
- Phone: 410–260–7770
- Toll free: 1–877–669–6085
- Fax: 410–260–7746
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://ethics.maryland.gov/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Noteworthy events
2018
On April 5, 2018, SB1048, creating an automatic voter registration system in Maryland, became law after Governor Larry Hogan (R) declined to sign or veto it. The legislation provided for the automatic registration of eligible voters when they complete transactions at the following state agencies: Motor Vehicle Administration, Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, local departments of social services, the Mobility Certification Office, and the Maryland Transit Administration. The law was set to take effect by July 1, 2019. The Maryland State Senate approved the bill by a vote of 31-13 on March 16, 2018. The Maryland House of Delegates followed suit on March 28, 2018, by a vote of 93-46.[7][8]
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 19, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: July 12, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 28, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 21, 2024
- The Ballot Bulletin: June 14, 2024
Subscribe
Enter your email address below to subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin.
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voter ID in Maryland
- Election administration in Maryland
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maryland
Elections in Maryland
- Maryland elections, 2024
- Maryland elections, 2023
- Maryland elections, 2022
- Maryland elections, 2021
- Maryland elections, 2020
- Maryland elections, 2019
- Maryland elections, 2018
- Maryland elections, 2017
- Maryland elections, 2016
- Maryland elections, 2015
- Maryland elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Introduction," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Rules and Information for Voters," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Maryland Attorney General, "Voting FAQ," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Maryland State Board of Elections Website, "Absentee Voting," accessed December 19, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
- ↑ General Assembly of Maryland, "SB1048," accessed April 13, 2018
- ↑ General Assembly of Maryland, "Fiscal and Policy Note: Senate Bill 1048," accessed April 13, 2018
 |
State of Maryland Annapolis (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
