How to vote · 2026
Maryland
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the Maryland election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026Advance registration (online, in person, or mail postmarked) by Oct. 13, 2026 (21 days before). Same-day registration with proof of residence during early voting (Oct. 22-29) and on Election Day.
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 27, 2026
Mail ballots first sentSeptember 21, 2026Mail-in ballots begin going out once printed, on Sept. 21, 2026 (43 days before; Md. Elec. Law 9-306, confirmed by Montgomery County BOE). Mailed/faxed requests due Oct. 27; online portal requests through Oct. 30.
Return rulePostmarked by Election Day and received by 10 a.m. Nov. 13, 2026
Early in-person votingOctober 22, 2026through October 29, 2026 · Early voting centers open Oct. 22-29, 2026, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Official MD election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] Montgomery County (Md.) Board of Elections: general-election mail ballots begin mailing Sept. 21, 2026[2] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[3] Mail voting Sept. 21-Nov. 13, 2026[4] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[5] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[6] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[7] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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