All the Voting Information You Need
Courtney Watson
House of Delegates
District 9B
Greetings Friends,
All the information that you need to vote safely and securely in Howard County has been announced, and I have assembled it here for your convenience. I want to encourage each and every one of you to have a plan for how you will vote. This is a potentially close and important election, so make sure that your voice is heard.
Additionally, there are only days left to complete the Census - the last day is September 30, 2020. Filling out the Census online takes only minutes, but for each person counted, Howard County receives over $18,000 of federal funding.
One of the best ways to make a difference is to share both this election and Census information with your neighbors.
Please stay safe, continue to wear a mask, observe six feet of distance between you and others, make a plan to vote, and complete the Census!
All the best,
Voting FAQ for the General Election 2020
from the League of Women Voters
WHEN can I register until and WHERE can I register?
The last day to register online, by mail, in person, or by mail is October 13th, 2020. However, people can also register at early voting centers and on election day.
You can get information for registering here:
You can also get registration information at the following websites:
Vote411.org (https://www.vote411.org/maryland)
League of Women Voters (https://hoco.lwvhowardmd.org/)
If you have moved or had other changes, check your registration here:
HOW can I vote?
You can either vote in person or vote with an absentee (mail-in) ballot.
If you choose to vote by absentee ballot, we recommend requesting your ballot early.
For instructions on how to obtain your absentee ballot, please visit:
When filling out the ballot, make sure to use black pen and completely fill in each oval. Make sure to sign the envelope, and seal it closed. Also, be careful NOT to leave any other marks on your ballot when filling in your choices. It can be rejected for this. If you make a mistake on your ballot, call the Howard County Board of Elections and they will get you another one.
Ballots will have prepaid postage. [NOTE: You may choose to add two stamps to ensure first class delivery.]
If you choose to have your ballot emailed to you, please note that someone from the Board of Elections will have to transcribe it to a paper ballot, which may take more time.
The last day to request an absentee ballot is October 20th, 2020.
If you request an early ballot and don’t receive it by October 3rd, please call the Board of Elections at 410-313-5820 and they will get one to you.
The absentee ballot must either be in a drop box or postmarked by November 3rd, 2020 (It must be received by 10 a.m. on Nov. 13th).
Absentee ballots can be tracked at:
If you order an absentee ballot, then choose to vote in person, you can give your ballot to a election judge and they will make sure it gets counted.
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"We are currently recommending that you deliver your ballot into a ballot drop box instead of mailing it. If you decide to mail it, mail it as soon as you receive and complete it."
-Howard County League of Women Voters
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There will be 9 DROP BOXES placed around the county (SEE BELOW).
EARLY VOTING CENTERS
If you are voting in person, there will be 5 EARLY VOTING CENTERS* open from October 26th – November 2nd, 2020. The hours will be 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. The locations are:
Meadowbrook Athletic Center, 5001 Meadowbrook Lane, Columbia
Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia
Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia
Marriotts Ridge High School, 12100 Woodford Drive, Marriottsville
Reservoir High School, 11550 Scaggsville Road, Fulton
ELECTION DAY VOTING CENTERS
On election day, NOVEMBER 3, 2020, there will be 17 voting centers* open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. The locations will be:
All 12 county high schools
Elkridge Landing Middle School, 7085 Montgomery Rd, Elkridge
Patuxent Valley Middle School, 9151 Vollmerhausen Rd, Jessup
Meadowbrook Athletic Center, 5001 Meadowbrook Lane, Columbia
Laurel Woods Elementary School, 9250 N Laurel Road, Laurel
Lisbon Elementary School, 15901 Frederick Road, Lisbon
*PLEASE NOTE: You can go to ANY early voting center or election day voting center to vote. You do NOT have to go to your usual designated voting place, which may no longer be available for voting.
Ballot Drop Off Locations in Howard County, Maryland
for the 2020 Presidential General Election
You can return your ballot by mail or you can drop off your completed, voted ballot at a drop box location in Howard County. Simply place your completed ballot in the return envelope, sign the oath on the envelope, seal the return envelope and take it to one of the drop off boxes below. Please make sure your oath is signed on the return envelope or the ballot will not count.
Your ballot must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3rd.
These locations will be available for use by September 28th – 30th
Howard County Board of Elections
9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 200
Columbia, MD 21046
Long Reach High School
6101 Old Dobbin Lane
Columbia, MD 21045
Marriotts Ridge High School
12100 Woodford Drive
Marriottsville, MD 21104
Meadowbrook Athletic Complex
5001 Meadowbrook Lane
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Reservoir High School
11550 Scaggsville Road
Fulton, MD 20759
Wilde Lake High School
5460 Trumpeter Road
Columbia, MD 21044
These locations will be available for use by October 15th – 17th
Elkridge Landing Middle School
7085 Montgomery Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
Laurel Woods Elementary School
9250 N Laurel Road
Laurel, MD 20723
Lisbon Elementary School
15901 Frederick Road
Lisbon, MD 21797
Ballot drop off boxes are monitored and secured by trusted election officials. Ballots are retrieved from the boxes at least twice daily by election officials. The drop off boxes are not property of the United States Postal Service.
ALERT from the Howard County League of Women Voters:
Have you recently received a postcard from the USPS? According to Maryland Matters, State election administrator Linda Lamone said last week that the generic information on the postcard could lead to "mass confusion" amongst voters in Maryland and across the United States. She said she asked Postal Service officials to halt the mailings, but some Marylanders got the card anyway. Howard County League of Women Voters recommends that you ignore the postcard. If you need voter information, either send an email to info@howard.lwvmd.org or visit the updated Board of Elections website: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Board-of-Elections.
YOUR RESPONSE MATTERS!
Health clinics. Fire departments. Schools. Even roads and highways.
The census can shape many different aspects of our community.
CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE CENSUS NOW:
