Voting, Step By Step
Md. Code, Elec. Law § 3-302 — registration closes on the 21st day before, and Md. Code, Elec. Law § 3-305 — registration during early voting
The 21st day. Voter registration closes beginning on the 21st day before an election, at 5 p.m. for applications submitted other than online, and at 11:59 p.m. for those submitted through the online system. It reopens on the 11th day after the election.
Received after the close. An application received while registration is closed is kept, and takes effect when registration reopens, unless the evidence shows it was mailed before the close or it was submitted earlier through the Motor Vehicle Administration or another registration agency.
During early voting. During early voting, an individual may appear in person at an early voting center in the county of residence and register, with proof of residency: a Maryland driver's license or identification card with the current address, or an official document with name and current address that meets the State Board's requirements.
Absentee and early voting, and what a provisional ballot needs in order to be counted, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular person is registered is a question for the local election office.
Sources for this section (2)
- Md. Code, Elec. Law § 3-302 — Close of registration on the 21st day before
- Md. Code, Elec. Law § 3-305 — Registration during early voting
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.