Who is eligible to register to vote?

To register to vote in Maryland, you must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen;
• Be a Maryland resident;
• Be at least 16 years old*;
• Not be under guardianship for mental disability or if you are, you have not been found by a court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote;
• Not have been convicted of buying or selling votes;
• Not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, you have completed serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation for the conviction.

*You may register to vote if you are at least 16 years old but cannot vote unless you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election.

Important: If you are an overseas citizen, you may vote in Maryland if Maryland is the state where you last resided immediately prior to leaving the United States, even if many years have elapsed and you no longer maintain a residence in Maryland. If you are a U.S. citizen who has never resided in the United States, you are not considered a resident of Maryland and therefore, are not eligible to vote in Maryland.

How do I register to vote?

Complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and mail it to your local board of elections where you last resided in Maryland. Your completed FPCA must be mailed by the deadline to register to vote. FPCAs serving as a voter registration application cannot be emailed or faxed, because election officials need to have an original signature on file.

• For the primary election, the deadline to mail an FPCA is Tuesday, March 13, 2012.

• For the general election, the deadline to mail an FPCA is Tuesday, October 16, 2012.

To obtain and complete an FPCA and learn more about registering and voting for overseas and military voters, visit:

• Overseas Vote Foundation
• Federal Voting Assistance Program

An FPCA is also considered a request for an absentee ballot. Please submit a new FPCA each time you move to ensure that you will receive your absentee ballot.

For what contests am I eligible to vote?

It depends. Military voters are entitled to vote for all federal, state, and local contests. 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.

How do I keep my registration up-to-date?

Please complete and submit a new FPCA whenever you move or change your address or each election year to ensure that you receive your absentee ballots.

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.

If you think you are already registered to vote in Maryland, visit the voter look-up website to verify your registration status and your voter information. If you have more questions, please send an email or call the State Board of Elections or your local board of elections.