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Election Board

Show All Answers

1. How do I register to vote?

Applicants may call the Election Board office to request a Voter Registration Application or come into the office to complete one in person. They may also obtain an Application from any post office in the county, the Social Services office, or the MVA. Persons with a valid Maryland Driver’s License may register online. Applications must be received three weeks before each election. For more information, go to the State Board of Elections website. 

2. Do I have to register to vote before each election?

No. As long as you keep your address current with your local election office, you will always remain a registered voter in Maryland.

3. What is the last day to register to vote or make any changes to my registration?

The voter registration deadline is 3 weeks before each election. New applications must be either hand-delivered, entered online, or mailed no later than 3 weeks before the election (must have valid postmark). Voters who are already registered and need to submit a change request (name, address, party, etc.) also have the option to fax the signed request to 410-535-5009. Change your voter information.

4. How can I verify if I'm already registered?

Go to the Voter Services website, or call the election office at 410-535-2214.

5. If I register to vote, won't I get called for jury duty?

Lists of potential jurors are pulled from both voter registration and MVA records; therefore, anyone with a driver's license or MVA-issued Maryland ID card is eligible to be called for jury duty even if they are not registered to vote.

6. Where is my polling place?

Go to the Voter Services website, or call the election office at 410-535-2214.

7. Where do I vote during Early Voting?

All voters in Calvert County may vote at the Early Voting Center at 30 Duke Street in Prince Frederick. We are located in the old library, directly across the street from the post office. The voting room is on the lower level.

The voting hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day, except for a Presidential General Election when the hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

8. Can I vote at any polling place in the county?

No. Polling places are assigned based on where each voter resides. Voting outside of your district or precinct may cause your vote to not be counted. However, during the Early Voting period, all eligible voters may vote at the Early Voting Center at 30 Duke Street in Prince Frederick.

9. What are the voting hours on Election Day?

Maryland polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The optimal voting hours are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. During early voting, the hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day, with the exception of the Presidential General Election when voting hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day.

10. Do I have to show identification when I vote?

No. Maryland law currently does not require identification in order to vote. However, to comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, each applicant is required to provide a Maryland Driver's License or Social Security Number in order to register for the first time in Maryland.

If this information is not provided at the time of registration, identification will be required before voting can proceed. However, there are residency and identification requirements for same day registration.

11. In a Primary Election, may I change my party affiliation on Election Day to vote a different party ballot?

No. Any requests to change voter registration records must be received 3 weeks before the election.

Maryland's top two political parties, in their bylaws, declare who can vote in their primary election. A voter who insists on voting a different party ballot will be required to complete a provisional application and ballot. Then after the election, office staff will research to determine if a request was received before the deadline or if a clerical mistake was made. If neither situation applies, the ballot will be rejected. In any event, the voter will receive credit for voting.

Note: In a General Election, parties have no bearing and all voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of political affiliation.

12. What will the ballot look like?

You may view a copy of the ballot by entering your voter data on the voter services website and then clicking the link on the next page that appears.

13. Can I wear a campaign button or T-shirt into my polling place when I go to vote?

Yes. Voters may wear campaign paraphernalia into the polling place while there to vote, provided they do not linger. However, an election judge, challenger or watcher, or other person stationed inside the polling place, or within 100 feet of the polling place, may not wear or display campaign materials.

14. May I pick up an absentee ballot for my spouse or child?

Yes, provided the voter signs the Designation of Agent Form which authorizes the Election Board to give his/her ballot to you to take to him/her. For the voter's protection, the ballot will not be released without the properly executed Agent Form, which is available at the election office and online. See below for the necessary steps.

a. First, the agent picks up or downloads an Absentee Ballot Application as well as the Designation of Agent form.

b. Second, the agent would return the voter's Application and Agent form in person after the voter has signed both forms. If properly completed and signed, the ballot will then be given to the agent to hand carry to the voter.

c. The voter's ballot may be returned in person by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day or by mail, bearing a postmark on election day.

15. Are absentee ballots only counted if the votes are close?

NO. Absentee ballots are always counted, regardless of the outcome, beginning two days after the election. However, a ballot may be rejected and not counted if the voter does not sign the OATH on the return envelope.

16. How do I complain about a candidate's campaign sign(s)?

The Calvert County Election Board has no regulatory authority in Election Law over the placement of campaign signs. In general, campaign signs fall under the purview of Free Speech. There are no longer any time limitations as to when signs may be erected. Common sense is encouraged to maintain the beauty of our county. The State Highway Administration (SHA) prohibits any and all signs in the State's right-of-way. For more information, visit www.marylandroads.com, or call 410-545-2819. Calvert County's Community and Planning Building department follows the same guidelines as SHA for placement of political signs on county roads. For more information, visit their web page to view the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 6-8.05.E), or call 410-535-2348. A candidate should report any theft or destruction of signs to the Sheriff's Office at 410-535-2800.

Visit the Zoning Ordinance page here.

17. Who are the Elected Officials in Calvert County?

View the Elected Officials here.

18. How do I become an election judge?

Registered voters may call the Election Board office to request information and an application. In most cases, election judges are assigned to work in their own precinct or as close to home as possible. Training is required, for which each judge will paid $25 along with election pay. Judges are paid a minimum of $175 for each election or early voting day worked.

Learn more and apply online.

19. How do I report Voter Fraud?

Call the Voter Fraud Hotline at 1-877-FRAUD-11 (1-877-372-8311).