Reminder about this year’s presidential general election deadlines in Maryland
Officials say deadlines for this year’s presidential general election are coming up soon, and people should be aware.
According to officials, the deadline to register to vote, change an address, or ask for another polling place for this election is Tuesday October 18 at 9PM.
To cast your ballot in the upcoming general election, Maryland residents who can vote, but are not yet registered, including 17-year-olds who will be of age or older on or before the November 8 general election, have to register by Tuesday October 18 at 9PM. October 18 is also the final day for registered voters to update their address at their local board of elections.
Residents with a Maryland’s driver’s license or Motor Vehicle Administration-issued ID can register to vote or change their address online by 9PM on October 18, at this website. Voters and military members, spouses and dependents who are overseas and who do not have a Maryland driver’s license or MVA-issued ID, can also register or update their address online with different identifying information.
Board of Elections officials say, paper voter registration applications have to be delivered by hand or mailed to your local board of elections. A hand delivered application has to be given to the local board of elections by October 18 at 9PM, and a mailed application has to be postmarked by October 18.
Officials say people can get voter registration applications throughout Maryland at
- Local boards of elections
- Motor Vehicle Administration offices
- State Department of Health offices
- Local Department of Social Services offices
- Offices on Aging
- Division of Rehabilitation Services
- Public institutions of higher education
- Marriage license bureaus
- Post offices
- Public libraries
- State Board of Elections
People can also register to vote during early voting, and officials say to make the voting process faster for you, they recommend that people register to vote by the ending of voter registration. If people cannot register to vote by October 18, then they should go to an early voting center in their county, and bring a document that proves your address. The document can reportedly be MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or any other bank or government document with your name and updated address.
For the most part, Maryland’s polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities. An elderly voter or a voter with a disability who is assigned to an inaccessible polling place may ask to be reassigned to an accessible polling place. This request must be submitted in writing by Tuesday, October 18 at 9PM. The request form is available online, or by calling 1-800-222-8683 to ask for a form by mail. On receipt of a timely request, the voter’s local board of elections will review the request and determine whether there is an accessible polling place with the same ballot as the voter’s home precinct and notify the voter of the status of his or her request.
To verify voter registration status or to find out if an assigned polling place is accessible, voters may visit this website.
The 2016 Presidential General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8. Beginning on Thursday, October 27th through and including Thursday, November 3rd, from 8AM to 8PM, voters can vote in person at their early voting place, and update their address. Officials say, the best days to vote early to avoid delays are Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30. Early voting locations and additional election-related dates and information are available online.
For more information, voters can call the Maryland Board of Elections at 1-800-222-VOTE (8683) or visit this website.
