Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here. To see a list of available races, visit the race index.

The drop-box locations will be listed here as soon as they are available. You can also drop your ballot off at a drop-box or hand-deliver it to your local board of elections. You can look up the address of your local board of elections here.

You can vote in an early voting center in the county where you live. Please be sure to check with your local Board of Elections or the State Board of Elections to ensure you know your correct voting locations. Note:  If you are eligible but not yet registered to vote, you can register and vote during early voting. Go to an early voting center in the county where you live and bring a document that proves where you live.

To be eligible to register to vote you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• A Maryland resident
• At least 16 years old (you can register at 16 but you’re not able to vote unless you’ll be 18 by the next General Election)
• Not have been found by a court to be incapable of voting by reason of mental disability
• Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes
• Not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, you have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment.

 

When registering to vote, you will need to provide either your current, valid state driver’s license or MVA ID card number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your voter registration form.

You will be asked to provide identification at the polling place if you fit specific criteria. The criteria are:

• You are voting for the first time in Maryland
• You registered to vote by mail on or after January 1, 2003
• You have not previously met the identification requirements

If you registered to vote by mail after January 1, 2006, you most likely satisfied the identification requirement during the registration process. If you did not satisfy the requirement, your county election board will have notified you and requested information to satisfy the identification requirement. You can satisfy the identification requirement by providing one of the following:

• 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.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation. If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

The polling place hours of operation are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource. If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your local board of elections.

Maryland is a “closed primary” state. In order to vote in the primary election, voters must be registered with a political party. Unaffiliated or independent voters are not able to participate in the primary. If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

A provisional ballot allows someone who thinks they are an eligible voter to vote. You may vote a provisional ballot if you meet specific conditions. You might vote a provisional ballot if:

• You are not listed on the precinct register
• You moved and did not update your address and tried to vote at your prior address
• You received an absentee ballot for this election, or that you already voted this election
• You tried to register during early voting, but could not determine if you’re eligible to vote
• You did not prove where you live when you registered to vote
• You did not show ID if you’re voting for the first time in Maryland and did not provide ID when you registered
• You did not provide your drivers license number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number on your voter registration form, or the number could not be verified.
• Someone challenged your right to vote
• A court ordered the polling location to stay open late and you voted during this extra time

For instances where you voted a provisional ballot because you did not provide ID you must show ID or an ID number to your local board of elections before 10am on the 2nd Wednesday after election day. You can track the status of your provisional ballot here.

Maryland’s voting system accommodates voters with disabilities by offering an audio ballot. Using headphones, the voter listens to the ballot and records the vote using a keypad. Both the headphones and keypad are provided. To assure the privacy of the voter, the voting unit’s screen is blank while the audio ballot feature is being used. A magnified ballot is provided for voters who have low vision. An adjustable screen is available to accommodate voters who prefer or need to sit while voting. To use one of the accessibility options, ask an election judge for a particular option. A voter will not be required to provide an explanation or fill out additional paperwork. Election judges will be available to answer questions and, if needed, provide assistance. If you need assistance voting, you may select someone to assist you in the voting process. Maryland law prohibits a voter’s employer or agent of the employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union from serving as a voter’s assistant. An election judge may assist you, but only in the presence of another election judge of a different political party. For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Employers must grant employees up to two hours of paid leave to vote, unless polls are open 2 hours before or after regular working shift, or if employee has sufficient time to vote on his/her own. Employees must provide proof that they cast their vote to receive compensation for time off.

Maryland voters use a voter-verifiable paper record voting system. Voter-verifiable Paper Voting System: Voters will mark a paper ballot and then feed the ballot into a ballot scanner. The scanner will read the voter’s selection and the ballot will drop into a locked ballot box. The scanner uses technology that can identify the voters selections. When you mark your ballot by hand, the scanner will look for marks inside the ovals. If you make any other types of marks (check marks, etc.) the scanner will let you know that you need to correct your ballot. You can ask the scanner to return your ballot and make your corrections on a new ballot. You will not get a receipt showing how you voted, however, you will continue to get your “I Voted” sticker to show you voted. For more information on the new voting system, check out your state’s resource.