Accessible Voting in Maryland
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General election in Maryland
- Same day voter registration is available.
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- Voters with disabilities can use an accessible vote-by-mail system.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Access by Voters with Disabilities page or call (800) 222-8683 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Maryland for voters with disabilities
- Sign up to automatically receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- All voters can use an accessible vote-by-mail system
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 27 through November 3, early voting centers are open between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- Same-day registration is available at all early voting locations.
- You can drop off your ballot at all early voting locations for your jurisdiction.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling places are open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
- Same-day registration is available at all Election Day voting locations.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Maryland are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
ES&S ExpressVote
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The printed ballot is a list of selections printed on a narrow card.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using ExpressVote
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 1:53)
- Video from Michigan (You Tube 12:29)
- Information about ExpressVote from Pennsylvania
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by November 18.
How to get your ballot
- All voters are mailed a form to request a ballot.
- Voters can sign up to receive a ballot for all future elections.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Fill out and return the form you received in the mail.
- If you request a ballot online, you may need to provide the number from a state-issued photo ID or your Social Security Number.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a secure drop box
At your local elections office
At a voting location on Election Day
At an early voting location
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
If you mail your ballot, make sure it is postmarked by Election Day.
Postage is pre-paid so you don't need a stamp.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- Ask your local elections office who can return your ballot for you.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Maryland called Online Ballot Marking Tool
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you are a voter with a disability.
To use the Online Ballot Marking Tool request access at the Maryland elections site, selecting the option to receive access to your ballot through email. When your ballot is ready, you will get an email with instructions.
Your voted ballot must be printed and returned to your local election office by mail, by ballot drop box, or in person. If you return your voted ballot by email or fax, it will not count.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by November 18.
Returning a printed ballot
To return a printed ballot:
- Print the marked ballot and check it to be sure it is marked correctly
- Follow the instructions to complete any forms that must be returned with the ballot.
- Sign the voter’s signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
You can return your ballot:
- By mail
- At a secure drop box
- At your local election office
- At a voting location on Election Day
- At an early voting location
The systems in use in Maryland for accessible voting by mail are:
Maryland Online Ballot Marking Tool
Accessible system for voting by mail.
The ballot can be marked and printed on your computer.
You can also print the ballot to mark by hand.
Learn more about using the Maryland Online Ballot Marking Tool
- Maryland website (PDF)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Maryland