Introduction
There are many ways to participate in the 2022 Gubernatorial Elections.
To vote by mail, you must request a mail-in ballot from the State Board of Elections or your local board. Your request for a mail-in ballot for the Gubernatorial Primary Election must be received by July 12, 2022; and by November 1, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in a designated ballot drop box by 8 pm on July 19, 2022 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election and by 8 pm on November 8, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election.
Please see the directions below to request and return your mail-in ballot.
To vote in person, Marylanders can vote during early voting or on election day:
• Early voting will be held for 8 days and begin on Thursday, July 7, 2022 through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7 am until 8 pm for the Gubernatorial Primary Election; and begins on Thursday, October 27, 2022 through Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 7 am until 8 pm for the Gubernatorial General Election. You can vote early at any early voting center in the county you live in.
• The Gubernatorial Primary Election Day is July 19, 2022; and the Gubernatorial General Election Day is November 8, 2022. To vote in person on election days, vote at your assigned polling place.
#MDvotes 2022
This website offers a step-by-step guide for Marylanders who want to participate in the upcoming gubernatorial elections.
Marylanders may choose to vote by mail or in person during early voting or on election day.
Below you will find information on:
- Register to Vote Register to Vote (deadlines are June 28, 2022 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election; and October 18, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election)
- Register to Vote
- Update or Verify Voter Registration Information
- Request a Mail-in Ballot (must be received by July 12, 2022 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election; and by November 1, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election)
- Online
- By Mail
- Fax
- Vote by Mail (Mail-in Ballot)
- Complete your Ballot
- Sign It, Seal It, Send It
- Return your Ballot
- US Post Office
- Drop box locations
- Vote on Election Day (Gubernatorial Primary Election day is July 19, 2022; and Gubernatorial General Election Day is November 8, 2022.)
- Times and Locations
- Accessible Voting
Register to Vote
To vote in the 2022 Election, you must be registered to vote. To learn more about who can register to vote, click here.
The deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration information is June 28, 2022 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election; and October 18, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election. To register to vote or to check your registration status, click here. Your voter registration must be up to date with your current address. To update your voter registration, click here.
You may also register to vote or update your voter registration information in person during early voting or on election day. If you update your address on election day, you will be asked to complete a provisional ballot. An election judge will assist you with this process.
Request a Mail-In Ballot
The deadline for us to receive your request for a ballot using our online system or by mail is July 12, 2022 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election; and by November 1, 2022 for the Gubernatorial General Election. If this deadline has passed and you would like to vote a mail-in ballot, please go to your local board of elections. You can pick up your ballot there and either vote and return it then or take your ballot with you and return it by mail or at a ballot drop box.
Once your application is submitted, you can check the status of your application here.
Vote by Mail (Mail-in Ballot)
Maryland voters who have requested a mail-in ballot for the Gubernatorial Primary Election can expect to receive their ballot beginning at the end of May and voters who request a mail-in ballot for the Gubernatorial General Election can expect to receive their ballot beginning at the end of September.
If you chose to receive your ballot by email, you will receive an email with a link that will allow you to print and mail your ballot.
If you chose to receive your mail-in ballot by U.S. Mail, simply follow the instructions with your ballot and return it in the postage-paid return envelope that accompanies your ballot.
Your mail-in ballot must be mailed or dropped in a ballot drop box location by 8 pm on Election Day, July 19 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election or November 8 for the Gubernatorial General Election. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before each election day to be counted.
Important Note: A recent change in 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 of mail-in voting.
Completing your Ballot
When filling out your ballot, remember to:
- Use Black Ink to Mark your Ballot
- Sign the Return Envelope. Do Not Sign the Ballot.
- Seal your Return Envelope
- Send your Ballot using the Postage-Paid Return Envelope
Returning your Ballot
First Class Mail – U.S. Post Office
We are urging all Marylanders to return their ballots as soon as possible due to potential delays with the U.S. Postal Service. Your ballot comes with a postage-paid return envelope, so submitting your ballot by mail is free. Your ballot must be postmarked on or before July 19 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election or November 8 for the Gubernatorial General Election. Putting your ballot in a mailbox on election day does not mean it is postmarked that day.
Ballot Drop Boxes
Marylanders can use a ballot drop box to return their mail-in ballot. At least 200 drop box locations will be available statewide. Ballot drop boxes will be open until 8 pm on July 19 for the Gubernatorial Primary Election and by November 8 for the Gubernatorial General Election.
Voting In Person
Vote on Election Day
Due to a recent change in the law, we now mail every voter an application for a mail-in ballot. If you prefer to vote in person, early voting centers will be open from Thursday, July 7, 2022 through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7 am until 8 pm for the Gubernatorial Primary Election, and election day polling places will be open from 7 am until 8 pm on July 19, 2022 for election day. For the Gubernatorial General Election, early voting centers will be open from Thursday, October 27, 2022 through Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 7 am until 8 pm, and election day polling places will be open from 7 am until 8 pm on November 8, 2022 for election day. You may vote early at any early voting center in your jurisdiction of residence or at your assigned polling place on election day.
To make in-person voting safe, we will keep voters six feet apart and limit the number of people inside vote centers at one time. This may result in lines and wait times. The best time to vote in person is on weekends during early voting and between 10 am and 3 pm on election day.
Accessible Voting
Maryland is committed to making voting accessible to all voters. All of the early voting centers in Maryland are accessible to voters with disabilities. To learn more about voting by mail or voting in person, click here.
Public Notices
We are required to provide public notice of certain changes to deadlines and timelines required by State Law. This is required by the Governor’s June 19, 2020 Order Extending Certain Licenses, Permits, Registrations, and Other Governmental Authorizations, and Authorizing Suspension of Legal Time Requirements. The public notices below discuss the suspensions and new deadlines and timelines.
Extended Deadline to File for Candidacy for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election (PDF) – Approved Feburary 11,2022
Court of Appeals of Maryland issues Order moving Primary Election to July 19 – March 15, 2022
Election Calendar
2022 Election Calendar (PDF) – Updated March 17, 2022
