Voter Registration - ID Requirement - Acceptable Forms of ID - Early Voting - Absentee Voting - Provisional Voting - Sample Ballots - Type of Primary

State Contact Information
Maryland State Board of Elections
151 West Street,
Suite 200
Annapolis, MD 21401

Phone: (410) 269-2840
Fax: (410) 974-2019
Email: info@elections.state.md.us
Web: http://www.elections.state.md.us/

Voter Registration
Eligible persons may complete a voter registration application in person at:

• Their local board of elections;
• The State Board of Elections;
• The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene;
• The Department of Social Services;
• The Motor Vehicle Administration;
• Offices on Aging;
• The MTA Paratransit Certification Office;
• All public institutions of higher education;
• Recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces;
• Marriage License offices; and
• Offices for students with disabilities at all Maryland colleges and universities.

Download: Eligible persons may also download and print a voter registration application from the Maryland Board of Elections website or contact their local board of elections or the State Board of Elections to request an application.

Verifying your registration
You are considered a registered voter when you receive your Voter Notification Card from your local board of elections. If you do not receive your card three weeks after you submit an application, you should contact your local board of elections.

Registration is permanent as long as you continue to live in Maryland and keep your name and address current with your local board of elections. You do not have to re-register when you move within the State, but you must keep your address current.

Close of registration: 25 days before an election; or delivered in person 21 days before an election.

Acceptable Forms of ID

• Your driver's license numbers, MVA-issued ID card number or at least the last four digits of your social security number, and we will attempt to verify this number with MVA or the Social Security Administration. You will be contacted if election officials were unable to verify the information.
• A copy of a current and valid photo ID (i.e., Maryland driver's license, MVA-issued ID card, student, employee, or military ID card, U.S. passport, or any other State or federal government-issued ID card).
• A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address.

Early Voting (N/A)
What is Early Voting?
All states have established some form of process for voters to be able to cast a ballot prior to Election Day. In many instances, however, the process is restricted to special circumstances. Some states require registered voters to present an acceptable reason that will prevent them from casting a ballot in-person, on Election Day. There are two ways a voter may cast an absentee vote however, only the second form is allowed in Maryland:

• In-person early voting allows registered voters to cast a ballot in-person before Election Day but is not permitted in Maryland.
• Another form of early voting is casting a ballot by mail which is often referred to as absentee voting/Vote by mail.

Absentee Voting/Vote By Mail (open)
Who can vote by absentee ballot: Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot.

Important Note: If you complete and submit this form, you must affirm on the oath that is returned with your voted ballot that you "will be absent or unable to vote in person in the election." If you will not be absent or are able to vote in person in the election, you should not complete and submit this form and should plan on voting at your polling place on election day.

Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Applications for absentee ballots must be received by a local board by the Tuesday before an election.

Late application for absentee voting: Beginning on the Wednesday before an election through 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, a registered voter or the voter's duly authorized agent may apply for an absentee ballot in person at the local board of elections.

You can either download a late absentee application (formulario y instrucciones disponibles también en español) or obtain one from your local board of elections. You or your duly authorized agent must hand deliver the completed application to your local board of elections. You or your agent will receive your absentee ballot once the completed application has been delivered.

Deadline to return completed absentee ballot:
After you receive your absentee ballot and read the instructions, vote the ballot and return it to your local board of elections. To be counted, the voted ballot must be:

Voters with specific questions should contact their local board of elections or the State Board of Elections.

Provisional Voting (in-precinct)
A "provisional ballot" can be considered a temporary ballot. Federal law provides for voters whose eligibility is in question to cast a ballot. Provisional voting was established nationwide by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). This means that no person who says they are registered to vote may be denied their right to vote. A provisional ballot will only be counted after the Local Election Board has reviewed the provisional ballot application and determined that the individual is registered and eligible to vote. You must be eligible to receive a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot cast by a voter who was ineligible to vote provisionally may be rejected. A provisional ballot is not an alternative to the electronic voting system.

The following are reasons why a voter may be required to vote a provisional ballot:

Voter's name is not on the precinct register: The most common reason that an individual's name is not on the precinct register is that the individual moved and did not update his or her voter registration. For your full provisional ballot to be counted, you must be registered in the State of Maryland and you must cast your provisional ballot in the precinct in which you currently reside.

You are unable to provide required identification: If you are asked for identification (see "Identification" section above) and are unable or unwilling to provide it, you will be issued a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you submit one of the forms of identification above under "Acceptable Forms of ID" before provisional ballots are canvassed on the 1st Monday after the election.

You have not yet met the federal verification requirements: If your voter registration application is pending because you have not met the federal verification requirements, you will be issued a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you provide:

• Identification (see forms of identification above). Identification is required because the driver's license or social security number you provided on your voter registration application could not be verified.
• A driver's license or MVA-issued ID card number or, if you do not have a driver's license or MVA-issued ID card, at least the last four digits of your social security number and election officials were able to verify the number you provided. This is required because you did not provide this information on your voter registration application.This information must be provided before provisional ballots are canvassed on the 1st Monday after the election.

You are ineligible to vote a regular ballot: You are ineligible to vote a regular ballot if:

• By not signing the change of address form, you indicate that you changed your residence address more than 21 days before the election and did not provide your new address to the local board of elections. As a result, you must either vote a provisional ballot in the polling place for your former residence or go to your new polling place. If you vote a provisional ballot at the polling place for your former residence, only the votes that you are eligible to cast based on your new address will be counted. If you opt to go to your new polling place, you will still be required to vote a provisional ballot, but all of your votes will be counted.
• The precinct register indicates that you received an absentee ballot for the current election or have already voted. You may cast a provisional ballot if you have not already voted. Your provisional ballot will be counted if the absentee ballot issued to you was not returned or you have not already voted. Attempting to vote more than once is against the law.

Your right to vote was challenged: Maryland law authorizes a poll watcher to challenge a voter's identity. If your identity is challenged and you are unable to provide the required identification, you will complete an affidavit to confirm your identity and be issued a provisional ballot. The challenger will also complete an affidavit indicating the basis for his or her challenge. The provisional ballot will be counted if the local board determines that you are the registered voter you claim to be and are eligible to vote.

You voted during extended election hours: If you vote during extended election hours (i.e. a court ordered extension), you will be issued a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if the local board of elections confirms that the order extending the election was valid.

Sample Ballots
Provision of sample ballots may vary by county. Please contact your local board of elections for more information about the distribution of sample ballots. However, sample ballots will be printed in the local newspaper and will be posted at your polling place on Election Day.

Type of Primary (closed)
Only voters who are registered members of a recognized political party may vote for the party's candidates in primary elections.