BALTIMORE – Mail-in ballots are going out to Maryland voters.
The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) announced that mail-in ballot packets were transmitted to requesting military and overseas voters by the federally mandated Sept. 24 deadline.
The mailing of ballot packets to other requesting voters will begin this Thursday, Sept. 29.
The rollout of ballot packet mailings to domestic voters will be conducted by Maryland jurisdiction as follows:
- September 29: Allegany, Caroline, Carroll, Dorchester, Somerset and Worcester counties
- September 30: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Cecil and Charles counties
- October 1: Frederick, Garrett and Montgomery counties
- October 3: Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Prince George’s counties
- October 4: Baltimore City and St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington and Wicomico counties
- October 5: Baltimore County
Voters who have already requested a mail-in ballot should review the above mailing schedule and anticipate it will take up to five days for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their ballots.
On Thursday, SBE will begin sending the first round of emails with unique ballot links to U.S.-based voters who have requested their ballots electronically.
Ballot Drop Boxes
In addition, SBE began the process of delivering and installing official ballot drop boxes across the state.
SBE anticipates it will take five days to deliver and install all 281 ballot drop boxes. A list of the ballot box locations is available online (in Spanish).
The November Election Day will be on Nov. 8.
Early voting goes from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3.
Last week, a judge in Montgomery County ruled that mail-in votes may be counted before Election Day.
However, Maryland Republican governor candidate Dan Cox has appealed that ruling.
The judge’s ruling is an exception in Maryland law that states mail-in votes can’t be counted until two days after Election Day, which was the case in July’s primary.
An election denier who has taken a series of hard-line conservative positions, Cox faces disdain from fellow Republican and outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan, who told WJZ he will not be voting for Cox in November.
According to our partners at the Baltimore Banner, more than 1 million voters in Maryland are expected to mail-in their ballots.