Mail-in Voting: Information and Instructions for the 2026 Elections

Important Note: A recent change in the law requires the State Board of Elections and each local board of elections to refer to absentee ballots as "mail-in ballots" and absentee voting as "mail-in voting." Please note that this change in terminology does NOT change the process of mail-in voting.

To vote by mail you must first fill out and return a Vote By Mail Ballot Application. You can download an application or pick one up from the Board of Elections.

How To Vote By Mail

After you receive your ballot, vote the ballot and return it to our office before or by 8:00 pm on election day.  A ballot received by the city board of elections will be counted provided:

• It has been received prior to the closing of the polls on election day; or
• It was mailed from a location within the United States before election day, bearing a postmark verifying that fact, and the ballot is received from the postal service by 4 pm on the Wednesday following election day; or\
• It was mailed from a location outside the United States before election day, bearing a postmark verifying that fact, and the ballot is received from the postal service by 4 pm on the second Friday following election day.  (not applicable following a Gubernatorial Primary)

Late Application For A Vote By Mail Ballot

Beginning on the Wednesday preceding the election, through the closing of the polls on election day, a registered voter or the voter's duly authorized agent may apply in person for a Vote By Mail ballot at the office of the local board if the voter:

Use Of An Agent

A qualified applicant may designate an agent to pick up and deliver the Vote By Mail ballot. The agent:

• Must be at least 18 years old;
• May not be a candidate on the ballot;
• Must be designated in writing by the voter, under penalty of perjury;
• Must sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the ballot was:
• Delivered to the voter;
• Marked and placed in an envelope by the voter, or with assistance as allow, in the agent's presence; and
• Returned to the local board by the agent (Not later than 8 pm on Election Day).
• Download the Designation of an Agent form in English
• Download the Designation of an Agent form in Spanish

Assistance

A voter who requires assistance in casting a Vote By Mail ballot by reason of disability, inability to write, or inability to read the ballot may be assisted by any individual other than:

• A candidate who is on the ballot;
• The voter's employer or an agent of the employer; or
• An officer or agent of the voter's union.

A person assisting a voter in completing a Vote By Mail ballot must execute a certification and include that certification with the completed ballot.

Contact the Baltimore City Board of Elections for details on this process at (410) 396-5574