Election 2024 Information for Bel Alton, MD

Voter Registration

Registration Deadline: 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 within three weeks after submitting an application, you should contact your local Board of Elections.

Party Affiliation: You have the option to register with any of Maryland’s recognized political parties. If you choose not to register with a party, you will be registered as “unaffiliated.” If registered as unaffiliated, you will generally not be able to vote in primary elections, but you will be able to vote in any nonpartisan primary election held in your jurisdiction, such as a primary election to select nominees for the board of education, and any general election.

If you change your name: You can use Maryland's Online Voter Registration System (OLVR) to update your gender or you can notify the local board of elections where you currently live if your voter registration information has changed. You can also send changes on a voter registration application or on any signed written notice. 

Voter Registration Qualifications

Age: You may register to vote if you are at least 16 years old but cannot vote unless you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election

Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen

Residency: Must be a Maryland resident

Mental Competency: Not under guardianship for mental disability and found by a court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote

Felony Convictions: Not 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. You also cannot be convicted of buying or selling votes.

ID Requirements: You must provide one of the following:

   -Maryland Driver's license number;

   -MVA ID Card number; or 

   -Last four digits of your social security number;

Obtaining a Voter Registration Form

Online: Online source for Maryland voter registration application

In person: You may complete a voter registration application in person at:

   - Your local Board of Elections;

   - The State Board of Elections;

   - The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene;

   - The Department of Social Services;

   - The Motor Vehicle Administration;

   - Offices on Aging;

   - The MTA Paratransit Certification Office;

   - All public institutions of higher education;

   - Recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces;

   - Marriage License offices; and

   - Offices for students with disabilities at all Maryland colleges and universities.

By mail/ in writing: Download a voter registration application (Spanish) or contact your local Board of Elections and mail the completed form to your local Board of Elections.

By fax: Maryland does not accept completed voter registration forms when faxed.

Verifying Your Voter Registration Status

Online: If your application is complete, you are considered a registered voter. If you do not receive a Voter Notification Card three weeks after you submit an application you should contact your local Board of Elections. You can also verify your registration online. 

Phone: Contact your respective County Board of Elections

Absentee Ballot Qualifications

Who can vote absentee: Any registered voter can vote absentee. You don't need a reason to vote by mail-in ballot. 

Obtaining an Absentee Ballot

Online: Click on this link.

In person: Go to your local Board of Elections office and fill out and turn in the form.

By mail: You may download an application (spanish) and mail it to your local Board of Elections office.

Deadline for Absentee Ballots: 7 days prior to the Election if you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax, or 4 days prior to the Election if you want to download your ballot from the State's website. 

When you request a ballot, you pick how you want to receive your ballot. If you want to download your ballot, make sure you provide your email address. Ballots are sent or posted to the website about 3 weeks before an election. If you want to download your ballot, we will send you an email when your ballot is ready. The email will include a link where you can print your ballot and instructions.

If you would like your ballot delivered to you electronically or want your ballot mailed to a different address, please submit a request. You can submit a request online or via paper form. If you use a paper form, 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 attachment).

Military and overseas voting: Military and overseas voters can complete a FPCA(Federal Post Card Application) and mail it to your local Board of Elections. 

You may also request one online. To get a ballot this way, you must have a Maryland driver’s license, MVA ID card, or Social Security number. There is a field where you can select that you are a military voter, spouse or dependent of a military voter, or voter who resides outside the U.S. Please look for this field and select the answer that best describes you.

More information on absentee ballots and proper procedure for voting overseas available. 

Submitting an Absentee Ballot

Location and time: If you hand deliver your ballot, you must deliver it to your local Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on election day. You cannot submit your voted ballot online, by email or fax.

If you mail your ballot, the envelope must be postmarked on or before election day and  received by your local board of elections by 10 am no later than 10 days after the election.

You can designate someone to be your agent. This person will take your completed mail-in ballot application to your local board of elections, pick up your ballot, and deliver it to you. To get your ballot this way, you and your agent must complete the Mail-in Ballot: Designation of Agent Form (Papeleta de Votante Ausente: Formulario para Designar un Representante). This form can also be obtained from your local board of elections.

Early Voting

Early voting qualifications: Individuals who are eligible even if not yet registered can vote early.

To register and vote during early voting: Go to an early voting center in the county where you live and bring a document that proves where you live. This document can be your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address. You will be able to register to vote and vote.

Location and Time: Early voting begins 12 days prior, and ends 5 days prior to the election. For the 2024 election, that would be October 24 through October 31, 2024 (including Saturdays and Sundays) from 7am to 8pm.

Other information for early voting: Find more information for early voting on Maryland's Early Voting page.

ELECTION DAY VOTING

On election day, go to your assigned polling place between 7 am and 8 pm. You can bring any printed material - including your marked specimen ballot - to help you vote. When you go to vote, you can wear clothing, buttons or stickers with political messages, but you must leave the early voting center or polling place immediately after voting. 

PROVISIONAL VOTING

A provisional ballot allows someone who thinks he or she is an eligible voter to vote. If the local board of elections determines that the provisional voter is registered and eligible to vote in Maryland and vote a provisional ballot, the ballot will be counted. If the voter is not eligible to vote a provisional ballot, the ballot may be rejected. A provisional ballot is not an alternative to the electronic voting system. Provisional ballots are counted even if they will not change the outcome of an election. You can read more about provisional voting here.

Additional Information

Verifying Registration: Maryland voter registration verification

Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org

Polling Place: Polling place lookup

ID Requirements: Some first time voters in Maryland will be asked to show ID before voting. If you are asked to show ID, please show an election judge one of the following forms of ID:

- A copy of a current and valid photo ID (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 current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address. Current means that the document is dated within 3 months of the election.

How to Vote: Overview of Maryland's voting system. Review the sample ballot you received in the mail or print it from the voter look-up website.

FAQ: Maryland frequently asked election day questions

Problems with voting: Maryland Administrative Complaint Procedure or fill out a HAVA complaint form.

Verifying provisional ballot status: Maryland provisional voting

Verifying absentee ballot status: Verify status of absentee ballot