Vote By Mail

Voting By Mail In Ballot

(****Recent change in the law requires the State Board of Elections and each local board of elections to refer to absentee ballots as “mail-in ballots” and absentee voting as “mail-in voting.” Please note that this change in terminology does NOT change the process of mail-in voting.)

Eligibility

Any registered voter may vote by mail-in ballot. You don’t need a reason to vote by mail-in ballot. It’s another way to vote if you don’t want to or can’t go to an early voting center or your polling place.

If you do not know if you are registered to vote, use our Voter Look-up to find out. If you are not registered to vote, find out how to register to vote.

2020 Presidential General Election Mail In Voting

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

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

    Note: We recommend that you download and fill out the form in Adobe Acrobat or any other PDF reader if you can’t type your information directly into the form. Some browsers don’t do this as well as other browsers. To download the form, click the form link and then right-click on the form. Select “Save as” to save it to your computer. You can also print the form and write in your information.
  1. Go to your local board of elections and fill out and turn in the form

* We mailed this form to each eligible voter who hadn’t already requested a ballot. If you already submitted a form, you do not need to submit another one. Use our Voter Look-Up website to check that you submitted a request.

Deadline to request a mail-in ballot?

Your request must be received (not just mailed) by Tuesday, October 20, 2020.

  • If you hand deliver your request and the ballots are ready, you can pick up your mail-in ballot. You may take your mail-in ballot with you and return it by mail or you can vote it at the local board office and give it to an election official. Please visit your local board of elections’ website for hours of operation.
  • If you miss the deadline but still want to vote by mail-in ballot, you or your agent must apply in person at your local board of elections.

IMPORTANT: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the State Board of Elections and many local board offices are currently closed to the public. As a result, an in-person request for a mail-in ballot MAY NOT be available, or available by appointment only. Please check with your local board of elections. office before making an in-person request for a mail-in ballot.

How will I receive my ballot?

The best way to receive your ballot is to ask for it to be mailed. It can be sent to any address you want;

Voting a ballot that you get in the mail helps us speed up the vote count and keep election workers safe during the pandemic. We will also send you an envelope with prepaid postage. No postage necessary!

You can also pick it up in person or have someone pick it up. You should ask your local election office how to pick it up in person.

If you want someone to pick up your ballot for you, you need to provide a Designation of Agent form.

Get this form at your local election office or online at elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html.

The person who picks up your ballot must be at least 18 years old and cannot be a candidate on your ballot. You can also have a similar person return your voted ballot to your local election office. This person must sign a form to show that he or she handled the ballot properly.

If you cannot receive a ballot in the mail or pick it up in person, we can also deliver your ballot over the internet. This process slows down the vote counting after the election and puts election workers at risk during the pandemic, so we ask that you not use internet delivery unless it is necessary.

If you need to access your ballot on the internet, you must:

Provide us with your email address.

Print your ballot and return it to your local election office either by mail, by dropping it in a drop-off box, or by taking it to your local election office. You cannot return your voted ballot online.

Mailed ballots are counted quicker than your printed ballot.

Returning Mail In Ballot

You must mail or hand deliver your voted ballot. You cannot submit your voted ballot online, by email or fax.

2020 Presidential General Election

Use the envelope provided with your ballot. You can:

  • Hand deliver your ballot. You must deliver it to your local board of elections. by 8 pm on election day, or you may take it to an early voting center, an election day vote center, or a ballot drop off box, or a polling place by the time the polls close.
  • Mail your ballot. If you mail your voted ballot, make sure that the envelope is postmarked on or before general election day (November 3, 2020). Your voted ballot must be received by your local board of elections by 10 am on November 13, 2020.
  • Drop your ballot at a ballot drop off box. The list of ballot drop off boxes for the general election will be listed here as soon as it is available.

If you have specific questions, please contact your local board of elections. or the State Board of Elections..

Non Maryland Mail In/Absentee Voting

Register and vote in your state by clicking the interactive map on the US Elections Assistant Commissions website. View each state’s information to see if you qualify to vote using an absentee ballot.

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