Maryland election officials want to help you vote

MARYLAND – The 2024 general election is fast approaching and officials are trying to inform the public about all of the different ways you can cast your ballot.

Voters in Maryland might have noticed mail-in ballot drop boxes popping up in high-traffic locations.

Dorchester County Board of Elections Director Gwen Dales said they’ve seen cases where people had trouble with the drop boxes: “People think sometimes that the lock is so they can’t get in to drop off their ballot, but that isn’t so. They’re thinking, why is this drop box locked? But there’s a slot and you just push your ballot through. So that’s a new addition to the state system.”

If you see locks on the ballot box, that does not mean officials are trying to keep you from voting. Worcester County elections director Patricia Jackson said they go to great lengths to keep those drop boxes secure. “There’s 24/7camera surveillance. The boxes are also locked up. There’s two padlocks on them. We have two people, an election team of one from each party, pick up the ballots daily and bring them back to the office.”

Dales said that if you’re not registered to vote, it’s not too late: “If they’ve gone to the DMV fairly recently, they’ll be in the system. So that’s called same day registration.”

If you don’t have a government issued ID, chances are you can probably still register with something like a utility bill or some other proof of residence. “You can always come into our office and we can help you here with a mail-in ballot that day, or we can assist you and let you know where where you need to go to,” Dales said.

Dales said people often overlook the fact that there are local issues on the ballot that can directly affect you, which is why it’s so important to have your voice heard: “Maryland really wants everyone to be able to to vote. So please do not do not let anything stop you…It’s very important, especially for the smaller things, not only the federal things that are on the ballot.”

Early voting in Maryland begins October 24th. If you prefer to vote by mail, you need to request your ballot by October 29th.