By Kristen Harbeson, Political Director

As I’m sure you’ve noted on your calendar, the special election is coming up very quickly- April 28th! We want to be sure your voter registration information is up to date and you are clear on how to vote by mail because it can be confusing.

We hosted our first webinar about the special elections with our partners and in case you missed it, here is the recorded meeting:

Both the Special Election on April 28 th and the June 2 nd Primary will be primarily Vote By Mail, with limited in-person options.
Despite the critical public health dangers of COVID-19, elections can be conducted in a safe and secure manner through Vote By Mail.
33 States – Including Maryland – allow any eligible voter to request an absentee ballot and vote by mail without needing to provide a reason. The April and June Elections are simply a rapid expansion of that program.

Voting by Mail

• All registered voters in Congressional District 7 will receive ballots
• Ballots will be sent to the address listed with the State Board of Elections
• Ballots will not be forwarded
• Voters must mail back their own ballot by the US Postal Service
• Postage will be pre-paid for mailed ballots
• Ballots sent by e-mail will need to be printed and mailed with appropriate postage (2 stamps)
• Ballots should be signed and filled out with a black pen
• Ballots must be postmarked on or before April 28th

Voting in Person

• Each jurisdiction will have one in-person voting centers
  • Baltimore City: Edmondson High School – 501 N. Athol Avenue
  • Baltimore County: Martin’s West – 6817 Dogwood Road
  • Howard County: Howard County Fairgrounds – 2210 Fairgrounds Road
• Vote Centers will be open on April 28th from 7am – 8pm
• Ballot marking devices will be available for voters with disabilities
• Each jurisdiction will have at least one secure vote drop box which will be available on election day. Locations will be finalized by April 20th
• Both the Special Election on April 28 th and the June 2 nd Primary will be primarily Vote By Mail, with limited in-person options.
• Despite the critical public health dangers of COVID-19, elections can be conducted in a safe and secure manner through Vote By Mail

33 States – Including Maryland – allow any eligible voter to request an absentee ballot and vote by mail without needing to provide a reason. The April and June Elections are simply a rapid expansion of that program.

Check your Registration

• To register or to check the status of your registration can be done on the State Board of Elections website: www.elections.Maryland.gov
• Registering to vote or requesting an absentee ballot will require a state ID
• Same Day registration will be available at vote centers, however these voters will likely be required to fill out a provisional ballot.

Important Dates

• April 21 – Last day to request a ballot to be mailed
• Ballots sent by USPS will include postage-paid return envelopes
• April 24 – Deadline to register to vote and request ballot be e-mailed
• E-mailed ballots will need to be printed and mailed. Voter will be required to pay their own postage (2 stamps).
• April 28 – Ballots must be postmarked by this date or cast in person
• May 6 – Results expected to be announced on or before this date.

Troubleshooting

• If you have not received a ballot
  • Check and update your address on the Maryland Board of Elections website: www.elections.Maryland.gov
• If you have general questions or problems on election day
  • 1-866-OUR-VOTE: national election hotline
  • 410-844-4859: Baltimore Votes election day hotline

Benefits of Vote By Mail

• Election Security
  • Paper Records of every vote in case of a recount
  • Few instances of fraud. Oregon voters have sent in over 100 million ballots since 2000, and only about a dozen people have been caught and prosecuted for election fraud, none of it organized or consequential
• Voter Education
  • Voters have time to sit with ballots and do their research
  • This is especially important for voters with lower literacy levels or those whose first language is not English