Mail-in Voting - FAQs, What Ifs (and much more)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Mail-in voting is one of three ways to vote in Maryland.
- You may vote by mail or
- vote in-person at any Early Voting Center during Early Voting or
- vote in-person on Election Day at your assigned polling place.
The law requires the 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 that was previously called absentee voting.
Any Maryland registered voter may request and vote by mail-in ballot. You don't need a reason to vote by mail-in ballot.
For the 2026 Election Cycle:
2026 Gubernatorial Primary Election: Mail-In Ballot Canvass or Early Processing of Mail-In Ballots starts June 1, 2026, and ends July 6, 2024, unless the volume requires an extension.
2026 Gubernatorial General Election: Mail-In Ballot Canvass or Early Processing of Mail-In Ballots starts October 13, 2026, and ends November 13, 2026, unless the volume requires an extension.
No; voters must apply to receive a mail-in ballot.
There are three ways you can request a mail-in ballot:
- Go 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, in-person, or email with an attached image of your signed request to your local board. Your signature is required on any returned request.
- Mail-in Ballot Application (PDF) English
- Solicitud de Papeleta de Votante Ausente (PDF) Spanish
- ዋና-ውስጥ የድምጽ መስጫ ማመልከቻ (PDF) Amharic
- 우편 투표 신청서 (PDF) Korean
- 郵寄選票申請 (PDF) Traditional Chinese
- 邮寄选票申请 (PDF) Simplified Chinese
- Ứng dụng bỏ phiếu qua thư (PDF) Vietnamese
- Go to your local board of elections and receive a mail-in ballot in person.
Note: Requests for mail-in ballots may take approximately a week to process.
You may designate someone to drop off your mail-in ballot application and pick up your mail-in ballot for you. Both you and your agent must complete, sign and submit a Designation of Agent Form along with your completed and signed Mail-In Ballot Application to your local board of elections:
Important: If you want to vote in-person, please
do not sign up for mail-in voting. Once we issue your mail-in ballot, if you later change your mind and show up to vote in-person you will have to vote a provisional ballot
📅 2026 Primary Election - Request Deadlines
- June 16, 2026: Mail/Fax delivery
- June 19, 2026: Internet delivery (print-your-own)
- June 23, 2026 (by 8 PM): In-person pickup
📅 2026 General Election - Request Deadlines
- October 27, 2026: Mail/Fax delivery
- October 30, 2026: Internet delivery (print-your-own)
- November 3, 2026 (by 8 PM): In-person pickup
📅 2026 Primary Election - Return Deadlines
- By Mail: Postmarked by June 23, 2026
- Drop Box: By June 23, 2026 (8 PM) – Text BOX + ZIP to 77788 for locations
- In Person: By June 23, 2026 (8 PM) at BOE office or polling place
- By Mail: Postmarked by November 3, 2026
- Drop Box: By November 3, 2026 (8 PM) – Text BOX + ZIP to 77788 for locations
- In Person: By November 3, 2026 (8 PM) at BOE office or polling place
⚠️ Important Instructions
- Sign and date the oath before returning your ballot
- Ballots without signed oaths will NOT be counted
- Do NOT sign the ballot itself
- Return your ballot via official drop box or U.S. Postal Service
- If mailing during the last week before Election Day, take it to a Post Office for a hand-postmark by Election Day
Contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program at
www.fvap.gov to apply online.
-or-
You may submit your application by mail to:
Montgomery County Board of Elections
P.O. Box 10159
Rockville, MD 20849-0159
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Registered voters may choose to email or fax their applications to:
Fax: 240-777-8560
E-Mail:
[email protected]
-or-
If you are in Montgomery County, you can deposit it in one of our
drop boxes available throughout the county.
Please send the
Request for Cancellation of your permanent status to:
Montgomery County Board of Elections
P.O. Box 10159
Rockville MD 20849-0159
You can also scan and email the cancellation request to
[email protected]
If you move outside State of Maryland, please cancel your Maryland voter registration which will automatically cancel your mail-in ballot request. You may download or print the Voter Registration Cancellation Form or Solicitud para cancelar el registro de votantes, complete it, sign it and return it to us via mail or email at [email protected]. If you move within the State of Maryland, you will need to update your voter registration while your Mail-in Ballot application remains valid and will be updated to reflect your new address. However, if you wish to change your ballot delivery method, please submit a new application.
Yes. The State Board of Elections will notify you prior to the upcoming election.
A voter who has requested a permanent mail-in ballot shall be removed from the permanent mail-in ballot list if:
- the voter requests to be removed from the list;
- the voter is removed from the statewide voter registration list;
- the voter fails to return a mail-in ballot for two statewide elections; or
- any mail sent to the voter by the State Board, or a local board is returned undeliverable.
- How can I receive a Mail-In ballot?
- When will I receive my ballot?
- Can I have someone pick up my Mail-In ballot for me?
- What are important steps when returning a voted Mail-In ballot?
- Use a pen with black ink to mark your ballot.
- Follow instructions and make indicated number of selections - Do not overvote. If you mark more candidates than instructed, that race will not be counted while the rest of the ballot will be counted.
- Fill-in the bubbles next to the candidates of your choice.
- Sign and date the oath on your return envelope. (The Spanish version of the oath is in your ballot packet, once signed insert it into the envelope with your ballot).
- Seal your return envelope.
You may place your voted ballot into one of Board of Elections official Drop Boxes prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Locations of official Board of Elections Drip Boxes can be found at
Montgomery County Elections Drop Boxes
-or-
Mail your ballot in its return envelope by 8 pm on Election Day to our office at P.O. Box 10369, Rockville, MD 20849-0369 and be sure you have signed the envelope and that it is postmarked by Election Day.
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You may deliver your voted ballot to our office located at: 18753 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 210, Gaithersburg MD 20879 during normal business hours but prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day
- What should I use to fill out my Mail-In ballot?
- Where can I find a USPS collection box or Post Office, or Official Mail-In ballot drop box?
- May I return my voted Mail-In ballot to a Polling Place during Early Voting or on Election Day?
- If I get my Mail-In ballot by internet / email, may I e-mail it back to Board of Elections?
Locations of official Board of Elections Drip Boxes can be found at this link Montgomery County Elections Drop Boxes
- Can I ask someone to return, on by behalf, my voted, signed, and sealed Mail-In ballot to the Board of Elections, USPS mailbox or Official Mail-In drop box?
Yes.
- How can I track my Mail-In ballot in the postal system?
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I already requested a Mail-In ballot, but I did not receive it.
- How do I find out if my Mail-In ballot was mailed to me?
- Can I request another Mail-In ballot?
- What if I receive two Mail-In ballots?
- How do you make sure that only one Mail-In ballot is counted?
- How can I find out whether you received my voted Mail-In ballot?
Visit the voter look-up website to verify if we received your request for a ballot and the status of your mail-in ballot (call 240-777-8550 or email [email protected] for more information).
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I already received my Mail-In ballot, but I made a mistake or damaged it.
- Can I request a replacement Mail-In ballot?
- Can I vote in-person during Early Voting or on Election Day?
- I requested a Mail-In ballot but changed my mind. Can I still vote in person?
- I am going away to school; can I still request and vote a Mail-In ballot?
- I am a former college student, who voted by Mail-In Ballot at my school address before, but now I am back home in Montgomery County. How can I vote?
You can vote in person during early voting at any early voting center OR at your assigned polling place on Election Day.
By mail-in ballot
Please note that if you previously requested a permanent Mail-in ballot OR already requested Mail-In ballot for 2026 elections to be delivered to your school address, you will need to update your mail-in ballot request.
- My family is temporarily overseas. How can we vote?
- Online if you have a Maryland’s driver’s license or MVA-issued ID card.
- Complete and return the form 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).”
- You may obtain a Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request - Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) by contacting Montgomery County Board of Elections or by coming to our office located at 18753 North Frederick Ave, Suite 210, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 to fill out your application and turn in the form.
Please visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website www.fvap.gov for more information.