Maryland voter registration
- In Person: 21 days before Election Day. You may also register during early voting or on Election Day with proof of address. See Election Day registration instructions.
- By Mail: Postmarked 21 days before Election Day. You may also register during early voting or on Election Day with proof of address. See Election Day registration instructions.
- Online: 21 days before Election Day. You may also register during early voting or on Election Day with proof of address. See Election Day registration instructions.
You can register to vote in-person during early voting and on Election Day. You will need to bring a current and valid photo ID card (i.e., Maryland driver's license, MVA-issued ID card, student, employee, or military ID card, U.S. passport, or any other State or federal government-issued ID card); or a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address and that is dated within 3 months of the election.
To register in Maryland you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Be a Maryland resident;
- Be at least 16 years old, and 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, have completed serving a court ordered sentence of imprisonment.
- Use our Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
- If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Maryland absentee ballots
- In Person: Election Day.
- By Mail: Received 7 days before Election Day.
- Online: Received 7 days before Election Day to receive ballot by mail, and received 4 days before Election Day to receive ballot online.
- Postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 10am, 10 days after Election Day.
Any registered Maryland voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
- Use our Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We'll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. Your Local Election Official will also let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
- Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Sign and date where indicated.
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
Maryland Early Voting
The second Thursday before Election Day.
The Thursday before Election Day.
Maryland voter ID
If you've voted in Maryland before or provided ID at the time of registration, you don't need to provide ID to vote in person. If you're voting for the first time in Maryland and submitted your registration by mail you may be asked to show one of the following forms of ID:
A copy of a current and valid photo ID card (i.e., Maryland driver's license, MVA-issued ID card, student, employee, or military ID card, U.S. passport, or any other State or federal government-issued ID card); or a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address and that is dated within 3 months of the election.
If you're not voting for the first time in Maryland or provided ID at the time of registration, you don't need to provide ID to vote by mail.
If you're a first time Maryland voter who registered by mail and you didn't provide ID when you registered, you'll need to provide a photocopy of one of the following forms of ID along with your mail ballot:
- A copy of a current photo ID showing your name and photograph
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address and that is dated within 3 months of the election
Offsite links
- State Election Website
- Local Election Office: This is the government office responsible for running elections in your region. These are the best people to contact if you have any questions at all about voting in your state.
- Find your polling place
- Absentee ballot tracker tool
- Learn more about absentee voting
- Learn more about early voting
- Learn more about voter ID
- State Election Code