Voter Registration During the COVID-19 Health Emergency

Due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Howard County Board of Elections is encouraging voters to continue to make sure their voter registration information is up-to-date using the online voter registration tools. To review your voter registration, use the Voter Lookup tool on the Maryland State Board of Elections website. If you need to update your registration, or would like to register, you can use the Voter Registration and Mail-In Ballot Request tool on the Maryland State Board of Elections website. Check our website and the Maryland State Board of Elections website regularly for updates, as the COVID-19 health emergency continues to develop.

Make Sure Your Voter Registration is Up-To-Date!

Make sure your voter registration is up-to-date so that you will receive any future mailings related to the 2024 Presidential Primary Election.

Contact the Voter Registration Department Email

Students Enrolled in College

For more information on registering to vote while enrolled in an in-state or out-of-state institution of high learning (i.e., college), find out about your registration options and how it will affect where you will vote and who will be your candidates. While your are living on campus, consider the following when registering to vote or updating your registration:

  • Your residence affects where you will vote and who you will vote for. If you provide your campus address as your residential address, your ballot will reflect candidate choices for that area. Therefore, if you still reside off campus (at home), your on-campus ballot will not reflect candidates and issues that affect your off-campus residence and your name may not appear on the voting register at your local (home) polling place.
  • If you want to vote for candidates and issues local to your off-campus residence (home), you can still provide us with your campus address as a mailing address and your local ballot will be delivered to your campus address, should you choose.
  • To improve delivery of your ballot, use an email address as your ballot delivery address, regardless of your on-campus or off-campus living situation. You will then be sent a link to download and print your ballot for voting. Remember to check your spam folder in the run-up to an election for your email ballot.

Voter Registration Information

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Eligibility

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For information on voting eligibility, see the link below.

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How to Register to Vote

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You may apply to become a registered voter

  • at a local election board office or at the State Board office;
  • at a registration site administered by a local election board;
  • by mail;
  • when applying to the Motor Vehicle Administration for the issuance, renewal, or modification of a driver's license or identification card;
  • when applying for services at a voter registration agency, such as:
    • offices in Maryland which provide assistance;
    • offices in Maryland which provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to individuals with disabilities;
    • public institutions of higher education in Maryland;
    • United States post office
  • with the assistance of a voter registration volunteer

You may also:

  • call the Howard County election office at (410) 313-5820 and request a voter registration application be mailed to you;
  • register online using the Online Voter Registration (OLVR) website;
  • download a voter registration application from one of the following websites:

    Under Quick Links, click on Forms; click on Voter Registration and Registered Voters Lists and select the appropriate link.

The completed Voter Registration Application (VRA) with an original signature must be returned to the election office; faxed or emailed applications for new voter registrations will not be accepted.

If you have previously registered to vote in Maryland or in any other state, please provide the name and address shown on your last registration.

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Party Affiliation

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For the 2024 Presidential Primary Election, the deadline to change your party affiliation is Tuesday, April 23, 2024. All party affiliation changes must be in writing and signed by the voter.

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Provisional Ballots

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If a voter is required to provide identification information but fails to do so before voting, the voter will be issued a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will only be counted if the voter is duly registered and provides the identification information before the canvassing of the provisional ballots occurs.

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How to Obtain an Application

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Voter registration applications can be obtained at the following locations:

  • Howard County Board of Elections - by telephone or in person
  • Local post offices
  • Libraries
  • Motor Vehicle Administration offices
  • County municipal offices
  • All public assistance offices
  • All offices providing State-funded programs
  • State Board of Elections
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Required Information

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The following information is required to complete the voter registration application:

  • Name, date of birth, and gender (Male, Female, or Unspecified/Other);
  • Residential address (a PO Box or mailing facility address does not meet this requirement);
  • Mailing address, if required in order to receive your voter notification card;
  • One of the following:
    • Maryland driver's license number;
    • MVA ID card number - provide only if you do not have a valid Maryland driver's license number; or,
    • Social Security Number - provide at least the last 4 digits only if you do not have a valid Maryland driver's license number

Your application will not be processed unless you provide the above required ID information, or affirm, under penalty of perjury, that you do not have a Maryland driver's license number, ID card, or Social Security number and provide one of the following:

  • Student, employee, or military photo ID card,
  • United States passport, or
  • any other State or Federal government-issued photo ID card.

Party affiliation is optional. If it is not provided, the default will be Unaffiliated.

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When to Register

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Generally, you may register to vote any time voter registration is open. Registration closes beginning at 9:00 pm on the 21st day preceding an election and remains closed until the 11th day after the election, unless modified by law or executive order.

Any voter registration application received when registration is closed will be held by the election office and processed when registration re-opens. Your registration will not be effective and you will not be eligible to vote until registration re-opens and you have received your Voter Notification Card (VNC).

You can also register to vote on election day. To make the voting process quicker for you, we encourage you to register to vote by the close of voter registration. If you can't register by that date:

To prove where you live, bring your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address.

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Registration in Maryland is Permanent

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As long as you remain a resident of the county and keep your address current with the election office, your voter registration in Maryland is permanent.

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