Maryland says more than 590,000 mail-in ballots requested for 2026 election

Maryland election officials announced on Friday that 590,922 Maryland voters have so far requested mail-in ballots for the 2026 general election.

The total includes voters who requested ballots delivered by mail as well as those who requested print-at-home ballots via email, the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) said in a statement. 

Election officials will start mailing ballots to voters who requested delivery by mail on September 19 and they are expected to be delivered within five days.  

Voters still have the chance to request a mail-in ballot. Requests for a ballot sent via mail or fax must be received or submitted online by October 27. To receive a ballot via email, a request must be submitted no later than October 30.

Voters can verify that their local board of elections office received their mail-in ballot request by tracking the status at the SBE's voter look-up website. 

To return a completed mail-in ballot, it must be postmarked by or before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. If returned by hand, ballots must be dropped off at a secure ballot drop box or local board of elections location by 8 p.m. November 3. A list of official drop box locations can be found at vote.md.gov/vote2026.  

Maryland's State Administrator of Elections, Jared DeMarinis, called mail-in ballots "a secure, legal, and convenient way" for voters to participate in the balloting process. "If you plan to cast a mail-in ballot in this election, be sure to request one before the deadline," he said.