Vote

Frequently Asked Questions



Voter Registration

What do I need to do to vote?
Before voting, every eligible citizen must first register to vote. Registration and polling places are based on your place of residence. Registration is conducted on the State level. Each state has its own Board of Elections, different registration procedures and deadlines.

Am I eligible to register to vote?
To register to vote in Maryland, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen;
• Be a Maryland resident;
• Be at least 18 years old by the next general election;
• Not be under guardianship for mental disability;
• Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes;
• 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.

• Your name was not on the precinct register.
  • The most common reason that an individual's name is not on the precinct register is that the individual is not registered to vote or the individual moved and did not update his or her voter registration.
• You were unable to provide required identification.
  • If you are asked for identification and are unable or unwilling to provide identification, you will be issued a provisional ballot. You will only be asked to show identification if:
    • You are voting for the first time in Maryland;
    • You registered to vote by mail between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2005; and
    • You have not previously met the identification requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act.
  • Your provisional ballot will be counted if you submit to the local board of elections one of the following forms of identification before the 10 A.M. start of the provisional ballot canvass on the 1st Monday after the election:
    • A copy of a current and valid photo identification (i.e., Maryland driver's license or MVA-issued ID card, student, employee, or military ID, U.S. passport); or
    • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with your name and current address (the same address you provided on your provisional ballot application).
• You have not yet met the federal verification requirements.
  • If your voter registration application is pending because you have not met the federal verification requirements, you will be issued a provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will be counted if you were asked to and:
    • Provided identification (see forms of identification above). Identification is required because the driver's license or social security number you provided on your voter registration application could not be verified.
    • Completed Box 4 on the provisional ballot application (see instructions). This is required because you did not complete Box 4 on your voter registration application.
    • This information must be provided to the local board of elections before the 10 A.M. start of the provisional ballot canvass on the 1st Monday after the election.
• You are ineligible to vote a regular ballot.
  • If you indicate to the election judge on election day that you changed your residence address more than 21 days before the election (by not signing the Voter Update Form) you will be given the option to stay and vote a provisional ballot or go to your correct precinct. Please note that the Maryland Constitution requires voters to vote in the election district or ward in which they reside. Accordingly, in order for some or all of the provisional ballot to be counted, you must be in the correct election district or ward.
  • If the precinct register indicates that you received an absentee ballot for the current election or have already voted, you will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot if you have not already voted. Your provisional ballot will be counted if the absentee ballot issued to you was not returned or you have not already voted. Attempting to vote more than once is against the law.
• Your right to vote was challenged.
  • Maryland law authorizes a poll watcher to challenge a voter's identity. If your identity is challenged and you are unable to provide the required identification, you must complete an affidavit to confirm your identity and will be issued a provisional ballot. The challenger also completes an affidavit indicating the basis for the challenge. The provisional ballot will be counted if the local board determines that you are the registered voter you claim to be and are eligible to vote.