ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Early voting in Maryland’s general election begins Thursday, giving residents a week to cast ballots in person before the Nov. 3 election, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Centers open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. each day through Oct. 29. Voters who are in line by closing time will still get to vote. The board lists every early voting center at vote.md.gov/vote2026.
Voters who skip early voting have two other choices: a mail-in ballot or a trip to their polling place on Election Day.
“An informed electorate is the first step toward a secure and successful general election,” State Administrator Jared DeMarinis said when the board released its election guide Sept. 9. He encouraged Marylanders to learn the deadlines and use the board’s website and Go Vote! Maryland app, both available 24 hours a day.
Mail-in deadlines
Time is short for anyone who wants a ballot by mail or fax. Those requests must reach election officials by Tuesday, Oct. 27. A postmark by that date is not enough.
Voters can request a ballot by email until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 29.
Completed ballots sent through the U.S. Postal Service need a postmark no later than Election Day. Voters can also use an official drop box or hand their ballot to their local board of elections by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Drop box locations are posted on the state’s election website.
Election Day
Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters must go to their assigned polling place, which they can find on the board’s website in English or Spanish.
Registration
The preliminary registration deadline passed Oct. 13, but residents can still register or update their home address when they vote, either during early voting or on Election Day. They will need a document showing where they live.
More information is available at vote.md.gov/vote2026 and through the board’s free app on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
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