Registration Deadline: Your application must be received by your local board of elections 21 days prior to the election. After your application has been reviewed and you are deemed qualified to vote, you will receive a Voter Notification Card in the mail. If you do not receive your card withing three weeks after submitting an application, you should contact your local board of elections.

Party Affiliation: Although it is up to the parties to decide who may vote in their primaries, generally only registered voter affiliated with a party may vote in that party's primary election. 


VOTER REGISTRATION QUALIFICATIONS
Age: You may register to vote if you are at least 16 years old but cannot vote unless you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election

Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen

Residency: Must be a Maryland resident

Mental Competency: Not have been found by a court to be incapable of voting by reason of mental disability

Felony Convictions: Not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, you have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation for the conviction.

ID Requirements: You must provide one of the following:
   -Driver's license;
   -MVA ID Card number; or 
   -Last four digits of your social security number;

Other Voter Registration Qualifications: Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes


OBTAINING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

Online: Online source for Maryland voter registration application or Online source for Maryland voter registration application in Spanish

In person: You may complete a voter registration application in person at:
   - Your 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.

By mail/ in writing: Download a voter registration application or contact your local board of elections and mail the completed form to your local board of elections. 

By fax: Maryland does not accept completed voter registration forms when faxed. 

Other Voter Registration Application Information: Under Maryland election law, a voter registration application must contain the original signature (applications by fax and online not accepted).


VERIFYING YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS

Online: You are considered a registered voter when you receive your Voter Notification Card from your local board of elections. You can also verify your registration online.

Phone: Contact your respective County Board of Elections


ABSENTEE BALLOT QUALIFICATIONS

Who can vote absentee: Any registered voter can vote absentee


OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Online: Download the most recent form from the Maryland Absentee Voter site. 

In person: If you hand deliver your request at your local board of elections office, you can pick up your absentee ballot. You may either take your absentee ballot with you and return it by mail or you may vote it at the local board office and give it to an election official. 

By mail: You may download an application and mail it to your local board of election's office.

Military and overseas voting: Military and overseas voters can complete a FPCA(Federal Post Card Application) and mail it to your local Board of Elections. More information on absentee ballots and proper procedure for voting overseas available. 

Emergency Voting: After the deadline, a Late Application for Absentee Ballot must be completed in person at the Board of Elections.

Other absentee ballot information: Complete and sign the absentee ballot application and return it to your county board of elections by the deadline. Your application must be received (not just mailed) by the deadline.


SUBMITTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Location and time: If you hand deliver your ballot, you must deliver it to your local board of elections by 8 p.m. on election day. If you mail your ballot. you must mail it on or before election day and it must be received by your local board of elections by 10 a.m., 10 days after the election. 

Other absentee ballot submission information: Absentee ballot applications must be received by mail by 4:30 p.m. 7 days before the election. By email and fax the application must be received before midnight on the same day. In person, a late application for an absentee ballot may be completed. 


EARLY VOTING

Early voting qualifications: Any registered voter who is qualified for that election can vote during early voting without further registration or qualifications.

Other information for early voting: Find more information for early voting on Maryland's Early Voting page.


QUALIFICATIONS

Verifying Registration: Maryland voter registration verification

Deciding how to vote: http://www.votesmart.org/

Time off to vote: Every voter may take two hours off work so long as the employee does not have two hours of continuous off-duty during the time that the polls are open.

Polling Place: University of Maryland polling place locator

ID Requirements: Some first time voters in Maryland will be asked to show ID before voting. If you are asked to show ID, please show an election judge one of the following forms of ID:
   - 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); or
   - A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address. Current means that the document is dated within 3 months of the election.

How to Vote: Overview of Maryland's voting system Review the sample ballot you received in the mail or print it from the voter look-up website.

Getting your vote counted: Maryland frequently asked election day questions

Problems with voting: Maryland Administrative Complaint Procedure or fill out a HAVA complaint form.

Verifying provisional ballot status: Maryland provisional voting

Verifying absentee ballot status: Verify status of absentee ballot