Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Presidential General Election will be a little different. There are two ways you can vote in the election: by mail or in person. You may only vote one time. It is important to plan how you would like to vote.
Vote by Mail
Because of the pandemic, an application for a mail-in ballot is being sent to every registered voter or you may request your mail-in ballot online here.
After you vote on your ballot, you must return it to your local election office by dropping it in a drop-off box, or by taking it to your local election office by 8pm on November 3, 2020. If you mail your voted ballot, it must be postmarked on or before general election day (November 3, 2020.) If you request a mail-in ballot and decide to vote in person, you will have to vote a provisional ballot. The deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
Vote In Person
To make in-person voting safe, face masks are required. (People with disabilities who are unable to wear a mask can be provided a reasonable accommodation per the Americans with Disabilities Act.) Voters will be 6 feet apart and the number of voters allowed inside a polling place at one time will be limited. This may result in lines and wait times. The best time to vote in person is on weekends during early voting and between 10am and 3pm on election day. You can vote at any vote center in your county.
Maryland is committed to making voting accessible to all voters. All of the voting centers in Maryland are physically accessible to voters.
Accessible Voting at Voting Centers
A ballot marking device that is accessible to most voters will be available at all voting locations. Using a headset and keypad, blind voters and voters with low vision are able to vote by listening to the ballot selections and by using the keypad. You may also choose to use the high contrast and large print functions of the voting unit. Other assistive devices (for example, sip and puff) can be plugged into the device.
If you want to use the audio ballot, ask an election judge. Election judges will answer questions and help you, if needed.
Accessible Voting by Mail-In Ballot
Request your ballot from the State Board of Elections, you can use an online tool to help you mark your ballot. The tool is compatible with the most common software used by individuals with disabilities, and you can use your own assistive devices with the tool.
If you use this tool, you make your choices on your computer and print your ballot. Your printed ballot will have your choices marked. With this tool, most voters with disabilities can make selections without help.
Help with Voting
You can bring someone to help you vote as long as that person is not:
Your employer or an agent of your employer
An officer or agent of your union
A challenger or watcher
Or, you may choose to have two election judges help you.
The person helping you must sign the Voter Assistance Form and cannot suggest how you should vote.
Dates to Remember
October 13 - Deadline to Register to Vote in General Election
October 20 - Mail-In Ballot request deadline
October 26 - Early Voting Begins
November 2 - Early Voting Ends
November 3 - General Election
Early Voting
Early voting centers for the 2020 Presidential General Election will be open Monday, October 26 - Monday, November 2. Early voting centers will be open from 7a.m. to 8p.m. You can vote in any early voting center in the county where you live. A list of early voting locations will be available in October.
Election Day Voting
Voting centers will be open on election day, November 3, 2020, from 7a.m. to 8p.m.
