Mail-In Voting Information & Instructions
The Maryland State Board of Elections offers information on how to request a mail-in ballot for the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election.
If you aren’t sure if you are registered to vote in Maryland, you can find out here.
Important note: A recent change in the law requires the Maryland 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.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Who may vote by mail-in ballot?
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 the Voter Look-up to find out. If you are not registered to vote, find out how to register to vote.
How do I request a mail-in ballot?
2020 Presidential General Election
There are three ways you can request a mail-in ballot.
Online if you have a Maryland’s driver’s license or MVA-issued ID card.
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: The election board recommends 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.
Mail-in ballot application for 2020 elections (PDF)*
Solicitud de Papeleta de Votante Ausente para las Elecciones del 2020 (PDF)\
Go to your local board of elections and fill out and turn in the form.
* The election board 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 the Voter Look-Up website to check that you submitted a request.
What is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot?
2020 Presidential General Election
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. For more information about someone else picking up your ballot, see Can I have someone pick up my ballot? below.
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.
Under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens mail-in Voting Act, military voters and voters who live outside the US can vote by mail-in ballot. If you are a military voter or live outside of the US, learn more about mail-in voting.
Note: Maryland does not have a permanent mail-in list. If you wish to vote by mail-in ballot, you must apply for a mail-in ballot each primary and general election cycle.
Can I have someone pick up my ballot?
Yes. You can designate someone to be your agent. This person will take your completed mail-in ballot application to your local board of elections, pick up your ballot, and deliver it to you. To get your ballot this way, you and your agent must complete the Mail-in Ballot: Designation of Agent Form (Papeleta de Votante Ausente: Formulario para Designar un Representante). This form can also be obtained from your local board of elections.
IMPORTANT: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the State Board of Elections and many local board offices might be 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.
