Under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, military and overseas voters can vote by absentee ballot.

I am a military or overseas voter and am registered to vote in Maryland. How do I request an absentee ballot?

Submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to the local board of elections in the county where you are registered to vote. If you are not registered to vote in Maryland, find out more about registering to vote.

Your request for an absentee ballot application must be received (not just mailed) by the deadline:

• For the primary election, the deadline is Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Your request must be received by 4:30 pm if you mail or deliver the application or 11:59 pm if you fax or email it.

• For the general election, the deadline is Wednesday, October 31, 2012. Your request must be received by 4:30 pm if you mail or deliver the application or 11:59 pm if you fax or email it.

After the deadline, you must go in person to your local board of elections to get an absentee ballot.
Visit either of the following websites to obtain and complete an FPCA:

• Overseas Vote Foundation
• Federal Voting Assistance Program

If your request for an absentee ballot is rejected, you will be notified of the reason for the rejection.

Note: Maryland does not have a permanent absentee list. If you wish to vote by absentee ballot, you must apply for an absentee ballot each election year.

How will I receive my absentee ballot?

On the FPCA or Maryland’s absentee ballot application, you can specify how you would like to receive your absentee ballot.  You can have your absentee ballot mailed, emailed or faxed to you.  Ballots are ready for mailing or distribution at least 45 days before an election.

If you want your absentee ballot emailed to you, make sure you clearly print your email address on the form.  When ballots are available, you will receive an email with a ballot tracking number and a link to a website where you can print your absentee ballot and instructions.  You will need to enter the ballot tracking number to print your absentee ballot.

How do I know if my absentee ballot request was received and processed?

Visit the voter look-up website to verify if your absentee ballot request was processed and the status of your absentee ballot. If you have more questions, please contact your local board of elections.

How do I vote my absentee ballot?

After you receive your absentee ballot, read the instructions and find a place where you can vote in private. You will need a No. 2 pencil to vote. Review your ballot before voting as your ballot may be multiple pages.

You will be voting a paper ballot and must completely fill in the oval to the left of your choice. Do not vote for more candidates than the number specified in the contest heading. If you wish, you may vote for fewer candidates than specified. Do not sign your name or make any other mark on your ballot.

Write-in voting is only allowed in general elections. A general election ballot has spaces for write-in votes. To cast a write-in vote, fill in the oval to the left of the space for the write-in vote, and write the last name and first name (or first initial) of the person in the appropriate space.

You must mail or hand deliver your absentee ballot to your local board of elections. You cannot email or fax your voted absentee ballot or take your voted ballot to an early voting center or a polling place.

When do I have to submit my absentee ballot?

You must mail or hand deliver your voted ballot.  You cannot email or fax your voted absentee ballot or take your voted ballot to an early voting center or a polling place.

If you mail your ballot, you must mail it on or before election day and it must be received by your local board of elections by 10 am on April 13, 2012 (primary election) and November 16, 2012 (general election).

Important Note: If you mail your ballot via a foreign mail system, you must affix the proper postage to get the ballot into the U.S. postal system.If you mail your ballot from a military post office (APO/FPO) or U.S. embassy or consulate, postage is not required.

If you hand deliver your ballot, you must deliver it to your local board of elections by 8 pm on election day.

Why does my ballot have only federal offices?

Some overseas voters are eligible to vote for all federal, state and local offices, while others are only eligible to vote for federal contests.  The following overseas voters are eligible to vote for all federal, state, and local offices:

• Civilian employees of the U.S. Government serving outside of the United States and its territories and their spouses and dependents; and
• Members of the American Red Cross, Society of Friends, or USO serving with the Armed Forces outside of the United States and their spouses and dependents.

Other overseas voters are only eligible to vote for federal offices.

What if I don't receive my absentee ballot in time to meet the mailing deadline?

Under federal law, you may use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot if you:

• Are a military or overseas voter;
• Submitted your request for an absentee ballot by the Tuesday before the election; and
• Have not received the requested regular absentee ballot.

You can obtain the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot from:

• Overseas Vote Foundation
• Federal Voting Assistance Program
• Your Voting Assistance Officer

If you are eligible to vote for State and local contests, Maryland allows you to vote for these contests on the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot. Please use the list of State candidates and local candidates and ballot questions to assist you with completing the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.

Can I have help?

Yes, if you have a disability or are unable to read or write, you may have help requesting an absentee ballot and voting. Any person can help you except:

• A candidate on your ballot;
• Your employer or an agent of your employer; or
• An officer or agent of your union.

If you need help with your request for an absentee ballot, please use Maryland’s absentee ballot application.  The person can help you with Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the application and must complete Part 4. If you cannot sign the application, the person helping you should print your name in Part 3 and write his or her initials after your name.

If you need help voting your ballot, the person helping you must mark the ballot according to your wishes and cannot make an effort to influence your vote. The person helping you must complete the Certification of Person Assisting Absentee Voter (provided with your absentee ballot). This certification must be returned with your voted ballot.

I have more questions.  Who can help me?

Please send an email or call the State Board of Elections or your local board of elections.