This FAQ will answer your questions on registering to vote in Maryland. Click here for more on voting in Maryland.
How do I register to vote in Maryland?
You may register to vote by downloading a voter registration application and mailing or bringing it to your local board of elections. It cannot be faxed, emailed or copied because it must have an original signature. You can also use this same form to change your party affiliation.You may also pick up an application at your local board of elections or any of these places:
- State Board of Elections
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- Department of Social Services
- Motor Vehicle Administration
- Offices on Aging
- MTA Paratransit Certification Office
- Public coleges and universities
- Recruitment offices of the U .S. Armed Forces;
- Marriage license offices
Must I choose a party affiliation when I register to vote?
No. However, you will not be able to vote in a primary election. Maryland's primaries are closed, meaning that only voters registered in a party may vote in its primary. To add or change your party affiliation you must fill out a new voter registration application.Do I have to re-register to vote if I move within Maryland?
No. You should contact your new local board of elections and notify them of your change of address. You may use a voter registration application to inform the board of elections of your address change, but you may also write a signed letter. If you complete a change of address form for the MVA in Maryland your new address will automatically be sent to your local board of elections (unless you indicate that you do not want it sent).How many days before an election or primary must I register to vote?
Your application must be received by your local board of elections 21 days prior to the election. After your application has been reviewed and you are deemed qualified to vote, you will receive a Voter Notification Card in the mail. If you do not receive your card withing three weeks after submitting an application, you should contact your local board of elections.Who is qualified to vote in Maryland?
To register to vote in Maryland you must be a U.S. citizen and a Maryland resident who will be 18 years old on or before the next general election. Convicted felons who have served their sentences as well as any parole or probation may vote in Maryland. However, anyone convicted of buying or selling votes and those under guardianship for mental disabilities may not vote in Maryland.If you are an expatriate, military personnel or the dependent of military personnel living outside the U.S. and your current or last U.S. residence was in Maryland, you may register to vote in Maryland, using a Maryland voter registration application.
If I am a student from out of state attending a Maryland college, can I vote in Maryland?
You must be a Maryland resident to vote in Maryland, and generally college students are considered residents of wherever they lived prior to enrolling in school. To register to vote in another state use the National Voter Registration Form.Can 17-year-olds vote in Maryland primaries?
Yes, if you they will be 18 on or before the general election.Though Maryland has been back and forth on this issue, in January 2008 the attorney general issued a statement that said Maryland's Democratic and Republican parties may allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 before the November general election to vote in their primaries.
Since 17-year-olds are not allowed to vote in other contests, such as school board elections or ballot issues, if such issues are on the ballot, they must vote with a provisional ballot. Since allowing 17-year-olds to vote is essentially a decision for each party, those that are not affiliated with a party cannot vote in the primary.