Early voting for the Nov. 8 presidential elections begins Thursday, Oct. 27 and continues through Thursday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
According to information from the state board of elections, Saturday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 30 are the best days to vote early and avoid long lines.
Voter registration will be available during early voting and requires proof of identification and forms found at http://www.elections.state.md.us/voter_registration/application.
Early voting locations for Prince George's County residents include the Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center, 7120 Contee Road; College Park Community Center, 5051 Pierce Ave.; and Bowie Gymnasium, 4100 Northview Drive.
Howard County residents can vote early at Ridgley's Run Community Center, 8400 Mission Road, Jessup; Miller Branch library, 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City; and the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia
Laurel residents who live in Anne Arundel County can vote early at Odenton Regional Library, 1325 Annapolis Road; Glen Burnie Regional Library, 1010 Eastway; Severna Park Community library, 45 West McKinsey Road; Annapolis Senior Activity Center, 119 S. Villa Ave.; and Edgewater Community Library, 25 Stepneys Lane.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8; polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. According to the state board of election, best times to vote and avoid long lines is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
State voting details
The state board of elections released the following information:
Where do I vote?
During early voting, voters should vote at a designated early voting center in their county of residence. There is at least one early voting center in every county. Centers are located at accessible facilities with adequate parking and within a convenient driving distance for most voters in the county. Information about early voting centers and early voting in general is available at elections.maryland.gov/voting/early_voting.html.
On election day, voters should vote at their assigned polling place. Voters can find their assigned polling place by looking at the voter notification card they received from their local board of elections or by clicking the Find your Polling Place link at elections.maryland.gov. Voters who have moved, but have not updated their address with their local board, should search for the polling place for their new address or contact their local board of elections. It is important for voters to vote in the polling place for their new address because only those contests for which voters are eligible to vote will be counted.
How do I vote?
There is a new paper-based voting system in Maryland. Voters will now cast votes by marking and scanning paper ballots. Most voters will use pens to mark paper ballots by hand, but there will be an accessible device for voters who need help reading or marking a ballot. All voters will insert their marked paper ballots into a scanner. Instructions will be available to help voters familiarize themselves with the ballot and how to vote. Voters may also ask an election judge to explain how to vote on the voting system, but a voter must vote alone, unless the voter is unable to do so because of disability, inability to write, or inability to read the ballot.
For absentee and provisional voting, voters are issued a paper ballot. Absentee voters who choose to receive their ballot electronically, print their own paper ballot to mark by hand or use the online ballot marking tool to mark and print the ballot. To mark a ballot by hand, voters fill in the ovals next to the candidates or ballot question responses for which they want to vote. At the local board of elections, the ballot is fed into a scanner which reads and tabulates the selections made by voters. All provisional ballots and absentee ballots are reviewed in a public meeting after the election and counted or rejected according to State law and regulation.
How can I get an absentee ballot?
Voters may request to receive their absentee ballot by mail, electronically, or by fax. Visit elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html to request an absentee ballot. The deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot is Tuesday, Nov. 1. The deadline to request an electronic absentee ballot is Friday, Nov. 4. Voters who request an electronic absentee ballot will be notified by email that their ballot is ready for download, then instructed to enter unique identifying information before printing their ballot, voting instructions, and return envelope template. If you miss the above deadlines, but still want to vote by absentee ballot, you or your agent must apply in person at your local board of elections before 8 p.m. on election day. Go to elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html for more information.
Voted absentee ballots may be delivered to your local board of elections by 8 p.m. on election day or mailed on or before election day and received by your local board by Friday, Nov. 18. All absentee ballots are reviewed, regardless of whether or not the absentee ballots will impact the outcome of an election.
What is a provisional ballot?
A provisional ballot is a safeguard to ensure that individuals who believe they are registered and eligible to vote are able to vote. Voters required to vote by provisional ballot will be asked to complete a provisional ballot application, and then issued a paper ballot. It is important that voters complete the entire provisional ballot application because the information on the application is used to determine whether the provisional ballot will be counted.
All provisional ballot applications are reviewed, regardless of whether or not the provisional ballots impact the outcome of an election. A provisional ballot will only be counted after the local board of elections has reviewed the provisional ballot application and determined that the individual is in fact registered and eligible to vote the provisional ballot. Additional information about provisional voting is available at elections.maryland.gov/voting/provisional_voting.html.
Voters can go to elections.maryland.gov/elections/2016/index.html for more 2016 election information or contact their local board of elections or the State Board of Elections at 1-800-222-VOTE (8683).