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Board of Elections

1. How do I register to vote?  Applicants may call the Election Board office to request a Voter Registration Application or come into the office to complete one in person.  They may also obtain an Application from any post office in the county, the Social Services office, or the MVA.  The Application can also be downloaded from www.electionsmaryland.com.  Applications must be received three weeks before each election.

2.  Do I have to register to vote before each election?  No.  As long as you keep your address current with your local election office, you will always remain a registered voter in Maryland.

3.  What is the last day to register to vote or make any changes to my registration?  In order to vote in the 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election on September 14, 2010, the deadline to register is Monday, August 24, 2010.  New applications must be either hand-delivered or mailed no later than August 24, 2010.  Voters who are already registered and need to submit a change request (name, address, party, etc.) also have the option to fax the request to 410-535-5009.

4.  How can I verify if I'm already registered?  Go to www.mdelections.umd.edu.

5.  Where is my polling place?  Go to www.mdelections.umd.edu.

6.  Can I vote at any polling place in the county?  No.  Polling places are assigned based on where each voter resides.  Voting outside of your district may cause your vote to not be counted.  (MORE INFO COMING SOON ON EARLY VOTING IN MARYLAND)

7.  What are the voting hours on Election Day?  Maryland polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  The optimal voting hours are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

8.  Do I have to show identification when I vote?  No.  Maryland law currently does not require identification in order to vote.  However, to comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, each applicant is required to provide a Maryland Driver's License or Social Security Number in order to register for the first time in Maryland.  If this information is not provided at the time of registration, identification will be required before voting can proceed.

9.  What will the ballot look like?  You may view a copy of the ballot at www.mdelections.umd.edu by entering your voter data and then clicking the link on the next page that appears.

10.  Can I wear a campaign button or T-shirt into my polling place when I go to vote?  Yes.  Voters may wear campaign paraphernalia into the polling place while there to vote, provided they do not linger.  However, an election judge, challenger or watcher, or other person stationed inside the polling place, or within 100 feet of the polling place, may not wear or display campaign materials.

11.  How do I vote by absentee ballot?  Registered voters may call or visit the Election Board office to request an absentee ballot application, which is the first step.  Applications may also be downloaded from www.electionsmaryland.com and, once completed and signed by the voter, may be mailed or faxed - if received by the deadline one week before Election Day.  Once ballots are available, typically three to four weeks prior to each election, they will be mailed to the voter the same day in which the application is received or issued in-person.  Beginning on the sixth day before Election Day (Wednesday), the Late Period begins, at which time absentee ballots can only be issued in person.

12.  May I pick up an absentee ballot for my spouse or child?  Yes, provided the voter signs the Affidavit of Agent Form which authorizes the Election Board to give your ballot to you to take to him/her.  For the voter's protection, the ballot will not be released without the properly executed Agent Form, which is available at the election office.  See below for the necessary steps.

   a.  First, the agent picks up the voter's application.  (To save one trip, this application can also be downloaded from www.electionsmaryland.com, or we can email or fax it.)
   b.  Second, the agent would return the voter's application in person after the voter has signed it, including the "Designation of Agent by Voter" section on the back of the application.  If properly completed and signed, the ballot will then be given to the agent to hand carry to the voter.
   c.  Lastly, the agent must return the voter's ballot in person.  The agent will then be required to sign the oath, "Under the penalty of perjury, I hereby certify that the voter for who I am acting as an agent marked the ballot and sealed it in an envelope in my presence, with assistance if necessary, and that I have returned it in person, without alteration, to the election board office."  This ballot must be returned to the election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

13.  Are absentee ballots only counted if the votes are close?  NO.  Absentee ballots are always counted, regardless of the outcome, beginning two days after the election.  However, a ballot may be rejected and not counted if the voter does not sign the OATH on the return envelope.

14.  Who are the Elected Officials in Calvert County? Elected Officials

15.  How do I become an election judge?  Registered voters may call the Election Board office to request information and an application.  In most cases, election judges are assigned to work in their own precinct or as close to home as possible.  Training is required, for which each judge will paid $25 along with election judge pay.  Judges are paid a minimum of $125 for each election.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION 10/26/09