Maryland Voting Guide

How do I register to vote in Maryland?

• For students: You can register to vote in Maryland if you consider Maryland to be your official “permanent" home (as opposed to a place where you are temporarily living). It would be the address you use most often on tax returns, government documents, driver's licenses, bank accounts, etc. The Maryland State Board of Elections advises that if you receive financial aid from another state or jurisdiction, changing your state of residency could impact your eligibility for financial aid. Check with the appropriate funding authority. It may be best to request an absentee ballot from your home state.
• For military and overseas voters: You can complete an application and request an absentee ballot by using the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).
• For survivors of violence: Maryland participates in the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program to protect victims of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking, minor children at risk for violence, and guardians of disabled people who may be at risk of violence. The program provides an alternate address and phone number for those who would be at risk if their address and phone number were to be shared publicly. Learn more about the Safe at Home program. Call 1-800-633-9657 to talk with an application assistant.
• For homeless or impermanent voters: You do not need to have a home address, but you will need something to show that you live and receive mail in the State of Maryland.
• For incarcerated voters: If you were convicted of a misdemeanor, you can vote using an absentee ballot. If you were convicted of a felony, you can vote when you are no longer incarcerated. Your voting rights are automatically restored, but you will need to re-register.

You are not automatically registered to vote simply by completing a voter registration application. The information you provided on your application must still be verified by election officials. You will be contacted when your voter registration application is approved, or if more information is needed.

Age restrictions: In Maryland, 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote and 17-year-olds can vote in a Primary election if they will be 18 on or before the General election.

To determine if you are registered to vote, use the Maryland Voter Lookup.

When is Maryland's voter registration deadline?

Your voter registration application must be received by your local Board of Elections at least 21 days prior to the election you wish to vote in. After your application has been reviewed, the Board of Elections will send you a voter notification card via mail.

What is early voting and can I participate?

In 2007, the Maryland General Assembly and the voters of Maryland approved a constitutional amendment authorizing voting before Election Day. Early voting started with the 2010 elections. In 2013, legislation was enacted that increased the number of early voting centers and extended the number of days of early voting.

Any registered voter can choose to participate in early voting and vote just as they would on Election Day. Citizens who are eligible to vote but not yet registered can go to an early voting center in the county where they live and both register and vote. Be sure to bring documentation proving where you live -- an MVA-issued license, ID card, a change of address card, a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or another government document.

See the State Board of Elections website for specific dates for early voting in the next election cycle.

How do I request an absentee ballot in Maryland?

Any registered voter can choose to cast an absentee ballot. You can request an absentee ballot online, mail in a request for an absentee ballot to your local board of elections, or go to your local board of elections and complete the form. Learn the deadlines to request an absentee ballot for the next election.

You can decide how you would like to get your ballot. It can be mailed or faxed to you, you can download it online, or you can have someone pick it up for you. Ballots are posted to the state's website three weeks before the election.

You may hand-deliver your ballot to your local board of elections before 8 pm on Election Day. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the local board of Elections no later than 10 days after Election Day.

If you are a military member or are living overseas, use the FVAP website to request an absentee ballot.

What do I need to bring to the polls in Maryland?

You will only need to present identification at the polls if you are a first-time voter and you did not provide an ID when you registered.

Any of the following are valid forms of ID if they are current (dated within three months of the election):

• A current Maryland driver's license
• A current ID card issued by the MVA
• A student or employee ID
• A military ID card
• A U.S. Passport
• Any other State or federal government-issued ID card
• A copy of a current utility bill or bank statement
• A government check, paycheck, or another government document that shows your name and address

If you do not have documents to provide where you live, you will be given a provisional ballot to use to vote. You will need to provide valid identification to your local board of elections before 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday after Election Day in order for your provisional ballot to be counted.

What special accommodations are available?

Most, but not all, Maryland voting centers are handicapped-accessible. Check the Maryland Board of Election's polling place lookup to see if your polling place will be accessible. If it is not, you can vote early at any early voting center.

If you want to vote at a different polling place on Election Day, you can fill out a Request for Polling Place Change or Absentee Ballot (PDF) and send it to your board of elections. Your local election officials will attempt to find an accessible location or they will send an absentee ballot.

If you have a disability and have difficulty marking your ballot, the State of Maryland offers an online tool to assist you. To access this tool, request an absentee ballot. There will be an option on the form that you can check to ask to print your ballot from the board of election's website.

You can also ask someone to help, including election judges (they will provide two people to help you). The only people you cannot ask to help you are your employer, union representatives, and polling place watchers.

What do I do if I see something illegal at the polls?

If you have a complaint about voter registration, about how you were treated at the polls, about lack of accessibility, or other problems you experienced on Election Day, you can bring your complaint immediately to the attention of the polling place officials. You can file a complaint after the fact with the State Board, which has an administrative complaint procedure. Use this administrative complaint form.

You can also report voting law violations to the U.S. Department of Justice. Or you may choose to contact a local Maryland attorney experienced in voting law if you feel your voting rights have been violated.