Election administration in Maryland
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Maryland:
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 registration
- 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).[3]
Maryland allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.[3]
Voters may register online, by mail, or in person at one of the following locations:[3]
- 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
Automatic registration
Maryland automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Motor Vehicle Administration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Maryland has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Maryland allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Maryland law requires 21 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Mayland does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
The voter lookup page, run by the Maryland Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Early and absentee voting policy
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Maryland permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Maryland. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[4]
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.[4]
Returning absentee ballots
Absentee ballots in Maryland can be returned in person or by mail. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before election day and received by election officials within 10 days of the election to be counted. A ballot cannot be hand-delivered to a polling place or early voting location; it must be delivered to the office of the voter’s local election board by 8 p.m. on election day.[4]
An authorized agent may pick up and deliver an absentee ballot. This agent must:[5]
- be at least 18 years old;
- not be a candidate on the ballot;
- be designated in a writing signed by the voter under penalty of perjury; and
- execute an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the ballot was delivered to the voter who submitted the application, marked and placed in an envelope by the voter (or with assistance as allowed by regulation) in the agent's presence, and returned to the local board by the agent
Signature requirements and cure provisions
Absentee ballots in Maryland include a return envelope printed with an oath that must be signed by the voter. Maryland law includes a cure provision, or a law allowing voters to correct an issue with the signature on their absentee ballot. Election officials are required by law to notify the voter about issues with the return envelope signature within 3 business days. Voters have until 10 a.m. on the tenth day after the election to correct the issue and have their ballot counted.[6]
Was your absentee ballot counted?
Maryland voters can use the voter lookup tool provided by the Maryland State Board of Elections to check the status of their absentee ballot and absentee ballot application.
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in Maryland
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Maryland does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.[7]
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.[8] |
” |
Background
As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[9][10]
Provisional balloting for voters without ID
Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in Maryland are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.[11]
(1) If the voter is not listed as registered to vote, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(2) If the voter has moved but did not update his or her address for voting, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(3) If the voter states that he or she has not yet voted in the election, but the state voter database shows that the voter received an absentee ballot for the election or already voted in the election, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(4) If, during early voting, the voter tried to register to vote or change his or her address, but the voter’s eligibility was not determined at that time, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(5) If the voter does not show proper identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(6) If the voter did not provide his or her driver's license number or the last four digits of his or her social security number on the voter registration form or election officials are unable to verify the number provided, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(7) If a voter’s right to vote is challenged, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(8) If a court orders a polling place to stay open late, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
Was your provisional ballot counted?
"A provisional ballot will be counted if the local board of elections is able to verify that the provisional voter is registered and eligible to vote in Maryland. Provisional ballots are counted even if they will not change the outcome of an election. So if a person is eligible to vote, it makes no difference if the voter has voted a regular ballot or a provisional ballot: both will be counted," according to the attorney general’s website.[11]
A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:[12]
- If the voter is not qualified to vote;
- If the voter failed to sign the oath on the provisional ballot application;
- If the voter cast more than one ballot for the same election;
- If "[t]he local board determines that a provisional ballot is intentionally marked with an identifying mark that is clearly evident and placed on the ballot for the purpose of identifying the ballot"; or
- If "the intent of the voter with respect to a particular contest is not clearly demonstrated, the local board shall reject only the vote for that contest."
Visit the office of the Maryland State Board of Elections’ provisional ballot search tool to check the status of your provisional ballot. The information is usually available 10 days after the election.[11]
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. |
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Maryland
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maryland utilizes a closed primary system. Although parties may hold open primaries, parties generally permit only registered party members to vote in their primaries.[13]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
In Maryland, employers must permit employees two hours of paid leave to vote if employees do not have two consecutive hours of time off work within the voting period. Employees must submit formal proof that they have used their time off for voting to their employer:
| “ | (a) Every employer in the State shall permit any employee who claims to be a registered voter in the State a period not to exceed 2 hours absence from work on election day in order to cast a ballot if the employee does not have 2 hours of continuous off-duty during the time that the polls are open.
(b) The employer shall pay the employee for the 2 hours absence from work. (c) (1) Each employee shall furnish to the employer proof that the employee has voted or attempted to vote. (2) The proof that an employee has voted or attempted to vote shall be on a form prescribed by the State Board.[14][8] |
” |
As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
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.[15]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[16] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[17]
When names can be removed from the voter list
Maryland law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[18]
- requests in writing to be removed
- dies
- is convicted of a felony
- is placed under guardianship for mental disability by a court
- is convicted of buying or selling votes
- moves outside of the state
- remains on the inactive voter list through two general elections.
Inactive voter list rules
When election officials receive information indicating that a registered voter in the state has moved, they are to send the voter a forwardable confirmation notice. The voter must respond to the notice or vote within the next two general election cycles in order to avoid being removed from the voter registration list. Inactive voters may also be restored to active status by completing one of the following:
- a voter registration application;
- a petition governed by Title 6 of Maryland Statute 3.502-503;
- a certificate of candidacy;
- an absentee ballot application; or
- a written affirmation of residence completed on election day to entitle the voter to vote either at the election district or precinct for the voter’s current residence or the voter’s previous residence, as determined by the State Board.
Inactive voters are not included in calculations for election administration procedures. [19]
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."[20]
By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[21]
As of August 2023, Maryland was participating in the ERIC program.
Post-election auditing
Maryland state law requires post-election audits. Local election officials and a board of canvassers conduct a procedural audit at the local level. Three precincts with at least 300 registered voters or 5 percent of all precincts, whichever is greater, "are audited by comparing voting machine results with those reported in the election management system," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. If "there is a discrepancy of five or more between the number of voters checked in to vote and the number of ballots cast, local officials must hand count signed voter cards and review other materials to determine the cause of the difference. Discrepancies discovered during the procedural audit must be resolved and the resolution approved by the State Administrator."[22]
After each statewide general election, the state board of elections conducts "an automated software audit of the electronic images of all ballots cast (required for primaries too) and a manual audit of voter-verifiable paper records (optional for primaries). The manual audit includes at least 2% of precincts statewide, including on randomly chosen precinct in each county, and at least 1% of the statewide total of early votes, absentee votes, and provisional votes in the previous comparable election," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. "If a discrepancy is discovered by the manual audit the state board may expand it, or take any other actions necessary to resolve the discrepancy."[22]
The procedural audit is conducted before local election officials certify the election. The manual audit conducted by the state board must be completed within 120 days after the election. The results of the audit do not change certified election results.[22]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[15][23]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.[24]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Maryland.
- Maryland Staggered Elections for County Officials, Question 1 (2000)
- Maryland Election Law Revisions, Question 4 (2006)
- Maryland Dual Offices Exceptions, Question 3 (1996)
- Maryland Charter Counties Elections, Question 4 (1996)
- Maryland Harford County Elections, Question 5 (1996)
- Maryland Residence Requirements for Voting, Question 6 (1970)
- Maryland Special Elections for County Executive Vacancies Amendment, Question 2 (2014)
- Maryland Baltimore County Council, Question 15 (1972)
- Maryland Howard County Council Elections, Question 4 (1976)
- Maryland Prince George's County Council Elections, Question 4 (1978)
- Maryland Anne Arundel County Council Elections, Question 1 (1980)
- Maryland Montgomery County Elections, Question 3 (1982)
- Maryland Election of Harford County Council, Question 2 (1986)
- Maryland Elections of County Officials, Question 3 (1986)
- Maryland Amend Article 7, Section 1 of the Constitution, Amendment 3 (1890)
- Maryland Election of Charter Boards, Amendment 2 (1915)
- Maryland Quadrennial Elections for State Officers, Amendment 4 (1922)
- Maryland School Board Term Limits, Question 7 (1972)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Maryland. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
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.
Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in Maryland, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Maryland. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Maryland." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Maryland
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Maryland's eight United States Representatives and 188 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[25][26][27][28]
Maryland was apportioned eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Maryland after the 2020 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
In Maryland, the primary authority to adopt both congressional and state legislative district lines rests with the state legislature. The governor submits a state legislative redistricting proposal (an advisory commission appointed by the governor assists in drafting this proposal). The state legislature may pass its own plan by joint resolution, which is not subject to gubernatorial veto. If the legislature fails to approve its own plan, the governor's plan takes effect. Congressional lines are adopted solely by the legislature and may be vetoed by the governor.[29]
The Maryland Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous, compact, and "give 'due regard' for political boundaries and natural features." No such requirements apply to congressional districts.[29]
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
- 151 West Street, Suite 200
- Annapolis, Maryland 21401
- Telephone: 410-269-2840
- Website: http://www.elections.state.md.us/
- Email: info.sbe@maryland.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Telephone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
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
- Voting in Maryland
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Maryland
- Redistricting in Maryland
Elections in Maryland
- 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
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Rules and Information for Voters," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Introduction," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Maryland State Board of Elections Website, "Absentee Voting," accessed December 19, 2013
- ↑ NCSL, "Electronic Ballot Return," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ LegiScan, “Bill Text: MD HB535 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled,” accessed October 3, 2023
- ↑ Maryland Attorney General, "Voting FAQ," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," March 9, 2023
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Maryland Attorney General, "Voting FAQ," accessed November 4, 2022
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections Website, "Primary Elections," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ General Assembly of Maryland, "Article - Election Law," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed Aprl 4, 2023
- ↑ Maryland Statutes, "3.102, 3.501, and 3.502" September 22, 2019
- ↑ Maryland Statutes, "3.502-503" September 22, 2019
- ↑ ERIC, "Home," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed August 7, 2023
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed August 15, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in June 2023, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 All About Redistricting, 'Maryland," accessed April 30, 2015
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