PSA to Maryland voters

[Anonymous]

The WP had a story this morning about the fact that mail-in ballots that are printed at home cannot be read by the scanners, and have to be transferred, by hand, onto state printed ballots before scanning. The transfer requires two election judges.
I am dumbfounded that they gave us the option of accessing our ballot online, knowing the ballots couldn’t be processed.
If you haven’t yet requested your absentee ballot, best not to choose the online option for getting it. Ask for the ballot to be mailed to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The WP had a story this morning about the fact that mail-in ballots that are printed at home cannot be read by the scanners, and have to be transferred, by hand, onto state printed ballots before scanning. The transfer requires two election judges.
I am dumbfounded that they gave us the option of accessing our ballot online, knowing the ballots couldn’t be processed.
If you haven’t yet requested your absentee ballot, best not to choose the online option for getting it. Ask for the ballot to be mailed to you.

...or just go vote in person

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting, OP.

[Anonymous]

I already chose email. Is there a way I can change it or cite in person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I already chose email. Is there a way I can change it or cite in person?

vote

[Anonymous]

I'm high risk and already requested the print at home ballott. I'm not going in person. Do I have any other options?

[Anonymous]

The article didn’t say you could change your choice. For those willing to vote in person, you can take your mail in ballot with you to the polls on Election Day, show it to prove you haven’t already voted, and then vote in person. They take the mail in ballot. So that is an option. But for people who don’t want to vote in person, maybe call the election office. The MOntgomery County Board of Elections number is
240-777-8500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article didn’t say you could change your choice. For those willing to vote in person, you can take your mail in ballot with you to the polls on Election Day, show it to prove you haven’t already voted, and then vote in person. They take the mail in ballot. So that is an option. But for people who don’t want to vote in person, maybe call the election office. The MOntgomery County Board of Elections number is
240-777-8500.

To clarify, you don’t have to wait until Election Day. You can take your mail in ballot as soon as you receive it too e of the in person early voting locations and vote in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article didn’t say you could change your choice. For those willing to vote in person, you can take your mail in ballot with you to the polls on Election Day, show it to prove you haven’t already voted, and then vote in person. They take the mail in ballot. So that is an option. But for people who don’t want to vote in person, maybe call the election office. The MOntgomery County Board of Elections number is
240-777-8500.

I was told that once I request a mail-in ballot, if I decided to vote in person, I would only be allowed to use a provisional ballot. I hope the information provided above is an accurate update.
What I plan to do is take my mail-in ballot to a drop-box as soon as the drop boxes are available. While my usual polling center will not be open for in-person voting, they will have a drop box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article didn’t say you could change your choice. For those willing to vote in person, you can take your mail in ballot with you to the polls on Election Day, show it to prove you haven’t already voted, and then vote in person. They take the mail in ballot. So that is an option. But for people who don’t want to vote in person, maybe call the election office. The MOntgomery County Board of Elections number is
240-777-8500.

I was told that once I request a mail-in ballot, if I decided to vote in person, I would only be allowed to use a provisional ballot. I hope the information provided above is an accurate update.
What I plan to do is take my mail-in ballot to a drop-box as soon as the drop boxes are available. While my usual polling center will not be open for in-person voting, they will have a drop box.

My understanding about the way it works is that if you have your mail in ballot, not yet mailed, and you produce it at the polling place, you vote a regular ballot. If you requested a mail in ballot, but don’t show up with it at the polling place, you may vote a provisional ballot, and then they will figure out afterwards which ballot to count. If you had already mailed your ballot and it was processed, then that one counts. If they confirm that your mail in ballot wasn’t counted, they will process and count the provisional ballot.

[Anonymous]

We requested mail in ballots a month ago and I have received a couple of email updates first that the application was received and then this week that it had been approved and mailed.
Hopefully it will arrive this week and I plan to drop it off at one of the drop boxes (Silver spring or Rockville)

[Anonymous]

My adult child was planning to request an online version of the ballot. It sounds like that might not be a good idea. Anyone know if it is too late to request a mail in ballot? Is it realistic to expect the ballot to arrive on time to vote?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My adult child was planning to request an online version of the ballot. It sounds like that might not be a good idea. Anyone know if it is too late to request a mail in ballot? Is it realistic to expect the ballot to arrive on time to vote?

I wouldn’t think it’s too late to get it and you can use a drop box to return it.

[Anonymous]

It's not too late to request a mail-in ballot.

If you already requested an online ballot and can't vote in person, vote with the online ballot.