What is a provisional ballot?

A provisional ballot allows someone who thinks he or she is an eligible voter to vote. A provisional ballot is counted if the local board of elections determines that the person is registered and eligible to vote in Maryland and vote by provisional ballot. A provisional ballot cast by a voter who was ineligible to vote a provisional ballot may be rejected. A provisional ballot is not an alternative to the electronic voting system.

Provisional ballots are counted even if they will not change the outcome of an election.

Why might I have to vote a provisional ballot?

• You are not listed on the precinct register. This usually happens if you are not registered to vote or you moved and did not update your voter registration.
• You did not provide ID. You were asked for ID but you did not show it to an election official. You need to show ID because you are voting for the first time in Maryland and have not previously met the ID requirements. You must provide ID to your local board of elections before 10 am on the 2nd Wednesday after election day. Acceptable forms of ID are:
  
  
  • A copy of a current and valid Maryland driver's license or MVA-issued ID card, student, employee, or military ID, U.S. passport; or
  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with your name and current address (the same address you provided on your provisional ballot application). Current means that the document is dated within 3 months of the election.
  
  
• Your voter registration is pending because you did not provide an ID number on your voter registration application or the number you provided could not be verified. To complete your registration, you must show ID or provide an ID number that is verified by the MVA or Social Security Administration. ID or an ID number must be provided to your local board of elections before 10 am on the 2nd Wednesday after election day. Acceptable forms of ID are listed above.
• You are not eligible to vote a regular ballot because either:
  
  
  • You moved more than 21 days before election day (shown by your inability to sign the Voter Update Form), did not notify election officials, and showed up to vote at the polling place for your prior address.
  • The precinct register shows that you already received an absentee ballot for this election or have already voted. If you have not already voted, your provisional ballot will be counted. Voting or trying to vote more than once is against the law, and if you do this, you will be referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
  
  
• Your right to vote was challenged and you did not show ID. Your provisional ballot will count if your local board of elections determines that you are the person you say you are. You may wish to contact your local board of elections and provide ID.
• You voted during extended voting hours. If a court orders that polling places stay open longer than 8 pm, all voters who vote during these extended hours must vote by provisional ballot. Your provisional ballot will count if the court order is upheld.

How do I vote by provisional ballot?

If you must vote by provisional ballot, an election judge will give you a provisional ballot application. After completing and signing this application, the election judge will give you your provisional ballot.

A provisional ballot is a paper ballot. To vote a provisional ballot, you must completely fill in the oval to the left of your choice. An election judge will provide more detailed instructions on how to vote a provisional ballot.

After voting your provisional ballot, you will seal your voted ballot in the envelope and put the envelope in the provisional ballot bag provided by the election judge.

Can someone help me vote my provisional ballot?

If you have a disability or are unable to write or read, you may have someone help you with the application and the ballot. Anyone can assist you except: a candidate who is on your ballot, your employer or agent of your employer, an officer or agent of your union, or an accredited challenger or watcher. You may also have two election judges assist you. The person helping you can fill out the application, sign it for you if you cannot sign, and vote the ballot according to your instructions. Your assistant cannot try to influence you and must sign a Certification of Person Assisting Voter provided by an election judge.

Will my provisional ballot count?

Provisional ballots are counted even if they will not change the outcome of an election. Counting starts on the 2nd Wednesday after the election. Your ballot will be counted at that time if you are a registered voter, were eligible to vote by provisional ballot, and met any other applicable requirements (see above).

For some voters, only part of the provisional ballot will count. This is because the voter either voted in the wrong county during early voting or at the wrong polling place on election day. For these voters, only those contests or ballot questions that appear on the ballot where he or she lives will be counted.

Will my votes be secret?

Yes. Your ballot will stay sealed in the envelope until your local board of elections has reviewed your application. If your local board concludes that your ballot should be counted, your ballot will be removed and immediately separated from your application so that your votes will be kept secret.

Can I find out if my ballot was counted?

Yes. You can use the voter look-up website to find out if your provisional ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why it was not counted. This information is available 10 days after election.