Voting Rights

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Who may register to vote in Maryland?

You may register to vote in Maryland if ALL of the following facts are true:

  1. You are a US citizen;
  2. You are a Maryland resident;
  3. You are not disqualified (see below); and,
  4. You are at least 16 years old. (You can register at age 16 but generally cannot vote until age 18. The one time you can vote while under age 18 is in a primary election that leads to a general or special election that will take place when you are at least age 18.)

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-102

 

Who is disqualified from registering to vote?

You are disqualified from being a registered voter if ANY of the following facts are true:

  • You are serving a court sentence of imprisonment (including any parole or probation) for a felony conviction; 
  • You are under guardianship for mental disability AND the appropriate court has found by clear and convincing evidence that you cannot communicate, with or without accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process; or
  • You have been convicted of buying or selling votes.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-102

 

How do I register to vote?

You can register to vote online, by mail, and in-person (early voting or Election Day).

  • Online: You can register online through the Maryland's Online Voter Registration System.
  • Mail: You can register by mail by printing an application from the State Board of Elections website and submitting the application to your local board of elections or the State Board of Elections.
  • In-Person: You can register in-person during early voting at an early voting center or on Election Day at a precinct polling place.

To complete the voter registration, you must provide a Maryland driver’s license number, Motor Vehicle Administration identification card number, or your Social Security number.

Note: There are voter registration deadlines. An application must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline to vote in the next scheduled election. See the Board of Elections website for deadlines for each election. If you submit a voter registration application when registration is closed, your application will be held at the local board of elections and processed when registration reopens.

 

Early Voting

During early voting, you may appear in person at an early voting center in your county of residence and apply to register to vote. 

When you apply to register to vote during early voting at an early voting center, you must provide proof of residency by showing the election judge a Maryland driver’s license or Maryland identification card that contains your current address. If you do not have a driver’s license or identification card with your current address, then you must provide a copy of an official document that meets the State Board of Elections’ requirements and contains your name and current address. 

When you apply to register to vote at an early voting center, the election judge must determine whether you reside in the county where you applied and whether you are qualified to register to vote. If you are a resident of the county and are qualified to register to vote, the election judge will issue you a voter authority card (which you have to sign) and a regular ballot. 

Read the law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-305

 

Election Day

On Election Day, you may appear at a precinct polling place in your county of residence and apply to register to vote. You must provide proof of residency by showing the election judge a Maryland driver’s license or Maryland identification card that contains your current address. If you do not have a driver’s license or identification card with your current address, then you must provide a copy of an official document that meets the State Board of Elections’ requirements and contains your name and current address. 

When you apply to register to vote at a precinct polling place on Election Day, the election judge must determine whether you reside in the precinct and are qualified to become a registered voter.  

  • If you are a precinct resident and qualified to register to vote, you will be issued a voter authority card (which you must sign) and a regular ballot.  
  • If you are a resident of the county but not the precinct, are qualified to register to vote, and choose to vote in that precinct, you will be issued a voter authority card (which you must sign) and a provisional ballot. 

Read the law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-306

 

Mail-In Voting 

Any registered voter in Maryland may vote by mail. You do not need to explain why you would like to vote by mail. Mail-in voting can also be called “mail-in ballots,” or “absentee ballots.”

There are three ways you can request a mail-in ballot:

  1. Online if you have a Maryland driver’s license or MVA-issued ID card.
  2. Complete and return a mail-in ballot application. Read the instructions, enter the required information, print the form, sign it, and return it to your local board of elections. You can return the application to your local board of elections by mail, fax, or email (scanned as an attachment).
  3. Go to your local board of elections, fill out the form, and turn it in. 

The deadline for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot depends on how you want to receive your blank ballot.

If you want to get a mail-in ballot for all future elections, you can sign up for the permanent mail-in ballot list when you request a mail-in ballot. Once you are on the permanent mail-in ballot list, a mail-in ballot will be sent to you for each future election you are eligible to vote in. You won't have to submit a request for each election. 

You must mail your completed ballot to your local board of elections office, or hand deliver your ballot to your local board of elections office, an early voting center, or an election-day voting center. You may also drop completed mail-in ballots in an Official Ballot Drop Box. Voters can drop off mail-in ballots as soon as the drop-off boxes are available until 8:00 pm on Election Day. 

For detailed instructions on completing and returning an absentee or mail-in ballot, go to the State Board of Elections website.

Read the law: Md. Code, Election Law, § 9–301 - § 9–312 
 

When can I expect my voter registration information? 

You should receive a voter registration card in the mail approximately 3 weeks after registering. This verifies that you are registered. If you do not receive your voter registration card, check online through the State Board of Elections' Voter Lookup or contact your local board of elections.

 

What happens if I move?

You do not need to re-register if you move to another place within Maryland, but you will need to contact your local Board of Elections to update your address. You can update your address through the Maryland Online Voter Registration System or by contacting your local board of elections. Note that when you complete a change of address form at the Motor Vehicle Administration, this information will be sent to your local Board of Elections.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-304 

You can choose not to change your voter registration information. For example, if you are military personnel being deployed overseas or are a student attending college out of state who chooses to remain a Maryland resident, you may choose not to change your voter registration information.

If you move from Maryland to another state, you will need to register to vote in that state.

You must use a provisional ballot if you moved and did not update your information with your local Board of Elections. Your new address determines which candidates you can vote for. You have two options:

  1. You may fill out a provisional ballot at your old precinct. If you choose to vote at your old precinct, only your votes for candidates whose name also appears on the ballot at your new voting location will be counted.
  2. You may fill out a provision ballot at your new precinct. If you choose to vote at your new precinct, your ballot will have the names of all the candidates for whom you are eligible to vote. Therefore, all your votes will count. 

You may not vote at your old precinct without informing the election judge of your change of address and asking for a provisional ballot. Voting in an election district where you do not currently reside is illegal.

 

What happens if I change my name?

You will need to update your information with the local boards of election if you legally change your name. You must use a provisional ballot if you changed your name and did not update your information with your local Board of Elections.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 3-304 

Read the Law: Md. Constitution, Article I § 5.

 

How do I find out if my provisional vote was accepted?

You can call your local Board of Election or enter your information in the Maryland Voter Lookup database online.

 

What happens if I am homeless?

Even if you do not have a fixed residence, you have the right to vote as long as you meet the other voting requirements.

However, you must provide a mailing address to register to vote. You may provide the address of the place where you regularly receive mail. The following are some examples of possible addresses you may be able to use (you may first ask if they would be willing to accept mail for you):

  • Shelters
  • Outreach centers
  • Churches, Temples, or Mosques
  • A relative or friend’s address

It makes sense to give them a way to contact you when you receive mail. For instance, you can set up an email account that you can access from a public library or any other computer you can use.

 

Do I need to bring my ID to vote?

Election judges prefer that you take a picture ID to the polling place. You must have identification if:

  • It is your first time voting in Maryland, or
  • You sent your voter registration in by mail.

Acceptable picture IDs are:

  • Maryland driver's license or MVA ID card,
  • Student, employee, or military ID card,
  • U.S. passport, or
  • Any other state or federal government issued ID card.

If you do not have a picture ID, you may also use a current copy of the following (current means the document is dated within 3 months of the election):

  • Utility bill,
  • Bank statement,
  • Government check,
  • Paycheck, or
  • Other government document that shows your name and address.

You can read the General Requirements of the Help America Vote Act on the State Board of Elections website.

If you are already registered, and you are denied the right to vote because you do not have a picture ID, you may cast a provisional ballot. When the board of elections confirms that you are a registered voter, your provisional ballot will be counted.

Polling officials must allow you to vote on a provisional ballot if:

  • You do not have a picture ID;
  • You are not on the registered voter list; or
  • The election judge says you are not eligible to vote.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 9-404

 

What is a provisional ballot?

A provisional ballot allows someone who thinks they are an eligible voter to vote. If the local board of elections determines that the provisional voter is registered and eligible to vote in Maryland and vote a provisional ballot, the ballot will be counted. The ballot may be rejected if the voter is not eligible to vote a provisional ballot. Information about the requirements and procedures of provisional voting can be found on the Maryland Board of Elections website.

Read the Law: Md. Code, Election Law § 9-404

If you are registered to vote, and they refuse to allow you to vote on a provisional ballot, you may contact the Maryland Board of Elections or the Maryland Attorney General's Office at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

 

Source
Edits by Regina Strait, Esq.; Updated by Web Services Librarian.
Source URL: https://peoples-law.org/voting-rights

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