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§ 9-502. Vote-by-mail ballots

West's Annotated Code of MarylandElection LawEffective: June 1, 2013

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Election Law (Refs & Annos)
Title 9. Voting (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 5. Voting by Mail in Special Elections (Refs & Annos)
Effective: June 1, 2013
MD Code, Election Law, § 9-502
§ 9-502. Vote-by-mail ballots
Ballots sent by mail
(a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a local board shall mail by nonforwardable mail a vote-by-mail ballot to each registered voter who is eligible to vote in a special election.
(2) A local board is not required to mail a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter if the voter has requested that the ballot be sent by other means.
Application for vote-by-mail ballots
(b) A voter is not required to submit an application to receive a vote-by-mail ballot.
Inclusion of postage-paid envelope
(c) In Montgomery County:
(1) each vote-by-mail ballot shall be accompanied by a postage-paid envelope in which a voter may return the voted ballot to the local board; and
(2) the local board shall pay the cost of postage-paid envelopes provided under this subsection.
Deadline for sending ballots
(d) A local board shall send a vote-by-mail ballot to each eligible voter at least 14 days before the day of a special election.
Addresses on file in statewide voter registration list
(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a vote-by-mail ballot shall be mailed to the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list for each eligible voter.
(2) A registered voter may request to receive a vote-by-mail ballot at an address other than the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list by:
(i) submitting an absentee ballot application in accordance with § 9-305(a) of this title not later than the Tuesday preceding the day of a special election, if the voter is temporarily absent from the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list; or
(ii) notifying a local board of a change of address not later than the Tuesday preceding the day of a special election, if the voter's residence has changed from the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list to another location within the State.
Replacement vote-by-mail ballots
(f) A local board shall issue a replacement vote-by-mail ballot to a voter if the election director of the local board has reasonable grounds to believe that the vote-by-mail ballot previously issued to the voter has been lost, destroyed, spoiled, or not received.

Credits

Added by Acts 2012, c. 677, § 1, eff. June 1, 2012. Amended by Acts 2013, c. 43, § 5; Acts 2013, c. 197, § 1, eff. June 1, 2013; Acts 2013, c. 198, § 1, eff. June 1, 2013.
MD Code, Election Law, § 9-502, MD ELEC LAW § 9-502
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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