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How to Vote in Maryland’s 2024 Elections

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Important dates and election information

Key dates

  • Primary election: Tuesday, May 14
  • General election: Tuesday, Nov. 5

Voting at a glance

  • Mail-in voting: Registered voters can request a mail-in ballot. 
  • Early in-person voting: Early voting runs from Thursday, May 2 through Thursday, May 9 for the primary. Find your early voting center on the state board of elections website closer to the date.

Voting in Maryland

What to know about recent changes

Recently enacted laws may change how you vote in the 2024 elections:

  • This year’s primary election was moved from Tuesday, April 23 to Tuesday, May 14.
  • Mail-in ballots must be sent to voters who qualify and request one no later than 43 days before an election. For this year’s primary election, election officials will distribute mail-in ballots by Monday, April 1.
  • Redistricting in 2022 redrew the boundaries of certain state legislative and U.S. congressional districts. 

Voter registration

Register online, by mail or in person:

  • Online: Use the state’s voter registration portal to register or update your registration. You’ll need a valid Maryland driver’s license or state-issued ID and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

The deadline to register in advance for the primary is Tuesday, April 23. If you don’t receive a Voter Notification Card three weeks after you submit an application, contact your local board of elections. Check your registration status through the state’s Voter Lookup portal.

Voters Go The Polls On Election Day In Baltimore
Voters cast their ballots at a polling place in Baltimore.
J. Countess/Getty Images

Registering to vote during early voting and on Election Day

If you miss the deadline to register in advance, you can register at an early voting center in your county or at your polling place on Election Day. Bring a Maryland driver’s license or state ID card, paycheck, bank statement or other government document that confirms your name and address.

Primary voting and party affiliation

You must be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary election, and you can only vote in that party’s primary. If nonpartisan races, such as school board elections, are on the ballot, unaffiliated voters can vote on those races only. You can change your party up until Tuesday, April 23, when advanced registration closes.

Ways to vote

Requesting a mail-in ballot

Any registered voter can request a mail-in ballot:

  • Online: Use the state’s voter services portal to complete an application. You must have a Maryland driver’s license or state-issued ID.
  • In person: Visit your local board of elections to pick up an application. If ballots are available at that time, you can take one with you. In-person requests can be made up until close of business on Election Day. 

When registering, you have the choice to request a one-time ballot or choose to be on the permanent mail-in ballot list and receive mail-in ballots for every election in which you’re eligible to vote.

You also have the choice to receive your ballot by mail, fax or email. If you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax, your request must be received (not just mailed) by Tuesday, May 7. If you want to receive your ballot by email, your request must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 10, if you’ve submitted a request by mail, or by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 10, if you’ve submitted a request via email, fax or the state’s online portal.

If needed, you can designate an agent to deliver your ballot application, retrieve your ballot and bring it to you. You and the person you choose must complete a mail-in ballot agent form and take it to your local board of elections.

Returning your mail-in ballot

Return completed ballots by mail or in person, including those received by email and fax, using the envelope provided. Prepaid postage is included.

  • By mail: Send your completed ballot to your local board of elections. Your ballot must be postmarked by Tuesday, May 14 and received no later than 10 a.m. on Friday, May 24.
  • In person: Drop off your completed ballot at your local board of elections or to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day (Tuesday, May 14 for the primary). You may also take your ballot to an early voting center by May 9. Check the state board of elections website closer to the date for a list of drop box and early voting center locations.

Use the state’s voter services portal to track the status of your ballot.

Voting in person before Election Day

Early in-person voting starts Thursday, May 2 and runs through Thursday, May 9 for the primary at an early voting center in your county. Polling hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your early voting location on the state board of elections website closer to the date.

Voting at the polls on Election Day

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your assigned polling place using the board of elections’ online tool. If you received a mail-in ballot but want to vote on Election Day, you’ll be asked to cast a provisional ballot. Your ballot will be counted once election officials confirm you haven’t already voted.

Voter ID requirements on Election Day

First-time voters will be asked to show ID before voting if ID requirements weren’t met when registering. Acceptable forms of ID include a current Maryland driver's license, a U.S. passport or a recent utility bill with your name and current address. Find the full list of acceptable forms of ID on the board of elections website.

If you can’t provide ID, you’ll be issued a provisional ballot. For your ballot to count, you must provide an approved ID to your local board of elections by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22.

Voting with a disability

Each polling place is equipped with an accessible system for voters with disabilities. Voters who need assistance filling in their ballot can receive help from either two election judges or a person of their choice, as long as that person is not an employer, union agent or officer, or a challenger or watcher. The person assisting must sign a Voter Assistance Form.

Voters who prefer to vote by mail can request to receive a ballot by email and will have access to an accessible online ballot marking tool. If using this tool, you’ll make your choices on a computer, print your ballot and return it to your local election office by mail, ballot drop box or in person.

Find more information at the state board of elections website.

More information about candidates

Key races:

  • U.S. President
  • U.S. Senate: one seat
  • U.S. House: eight seats

Sample ballots will be available through the state board of elections’ online Voter Lookup Tool.

Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Jan. 30, 2024, with new information about voting in the 2024 presidential primary.

Grace Dickinson is a contributing writer who covers federal and state policy. She previously wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her work has also appeared on sites like HuffPost and Eater.

Also of Interest:

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