Voting by Mail in 2022

Citizens seeking to vote by mail MUST REQUEST a mail-in ballot.

• To apply for a mail-in ballot, go online to voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/onlinemailinrequest, text VBM to 77788, or apply in person at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections, 6740 Baymeadow Drive, Glen Burnie, MD.  Call 410-222-6600 for assistance.
• The Board of Elections must receive the application for a mail-in ballot by July 12 for the Primary Election and November 1 for the General Election. See below for complete instructions.  
• Track the status of your ballot here: voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
• Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in a designated ballot drop box by 8 pm on July 19, 2022 for the Primary Election and by 8 pm on November 8, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election.

 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Dates

Register to vote, update registration or change party affiliation online, by mail or in person: Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Early Voting: Thursday, July 7 through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7am-8pm

Election Day:   Tuesday, July 19, 2022 from 7am-8pm

Register to vote or update registration at polling place (cannot change party): Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Candidates on the Maryland Primary Election Ballot

Maryland is a closed primary state. This means voters must be registered as Republicans to vote for Republican candidates and voters must be registered as Democrats to vote for Democrats. The Board of Elections is responsible for all Republican, Democratic and nonpartisan elections. Other recognized political parties in Maryland choose their candidates by other methods. Therefore, third party and unaffiliated candidates do not appear on the primary election ballots issued by the Board of Elections. Maryland prohibits write-in candidates in the primary election.

Candidates for Judge of the Circuit Court, a nonpartisan race, appear on both the Democratic and Republican ballots.

Registering to Vote

*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.

How to register: You may register to vote, update your registration and/or change your party affiliation online, or in person at any of the following:

• Your local board of elections;
• The State Board of Elections;
• Your local Department of Health office; 
• The Maryland Department of Human Services local offices; 
• The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) offices; 
• Your local Area Agency on Aging office;
• 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.

Registration deadlines: Registration officially closes 21 days before an election. For the 2022 Maryland Primary Election, this deadline is Tuesday, June 28.

Same day registration: Maryland law allows residents to register to vote and/or update their address in person at early voting sites and at their voting precinct on election day. Party affiliation may not be changed. Bring a document that proves where you live, such as your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address.

How to Request Your Mail-In Ballot

In January 2022, the state Board of Elections sent a Mail-in Ballot Request Form to all eligible registered voters in Maryland. This form may be used to request mail-in ballots for the 2022 Primary and General Elections as well as to register to receive mail-in ballots for all future federal and state elections.

If you didn't receive the form and wish to vote by mail in the 2022 primary, first check to make sure your voter registration information is correct here: voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch. 

Then request a mail-in ballot (previously called an "absentee ballot") using one of these options:

• Request your ballot online now.
  • This will require a Maryland driver’s license or state ID. 
• Download and print a ballot request form. English | Español 
  • Fill it out and mail it now. You will need your own envelope and stamp.
• If you are an active registered voter, the Board of Elections will send you a ballot request form via U.S. Mail.
  
  • To expedite receipt of your ballot, complete and return the request form as soon as it arrives.
  • This request form will come with a postage-paid envelope.

Ballot delivery by U.S. mail is preferable unless it is not practical or possible for you to use that option.

How to Complete & Return Your Mail-In Ballot

• Ballots will be mailed with instructions for marking and returning them to the Board of Elections.
  • Follow the instructions carefully. You must sign an oath that accompanies the ballot. Failure to complete the return envelope correctly may result in your ballot not being counted. 
• Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than July 19 in order to be counted.  Voters are encouraged to return ballots early when possible.  
  • The Board of Elections website includes a form where you can check to see if your ballot was received.
• Instead of returning your ballot by U.S. Mail, you may put it in one of the secure drop boxes provided by the Board of Elections.  Your ballot must be returned to a drop box by 8:00 pm on July 19 to be counted.

Protect your ballot.  Be wary of anyone who offers to collect ballots.  Be sure that your ballot is sealed in its envelope and put it directly in the U.S. Mail or a Board of Elections drop box.

In-Person Voting at Vote Centers

Early Voting: Thursday, July 7 through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7 am-8 pm

• Avoid the rush – vote early!
• You may cast your official ballot at any Anne Arundel early voting site.
• New voter registration will be available at all voting sites. 
• All early voting centers in Maryland are accessible to voters with disabilities.

Primary Election Day Voting: Tuesday, July 19 from 7 am to 8 pm

• On election day, you must vote at your assigned polling place. 
• Your polling place may have changed. The sample ballot you receive from the Board of Elections will list the correct location or click here to check.
• Click here to see the complete 2022 polling place list by precinct.
• All election day polling places are open continuously from 7 am until 8 pm on. Anyone in line at 8 pm will be allowed to vote.
• New voter registration will be available at all voting sites.

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE.  PLAN AHEAD.  HOW AND WHEN YOU WILL VOTE?

Visit the State Board of Elections website for FAQs and Rumor Control.

Visit VOTE411 for Information on the Candidates, Issues and Ballot Questions