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

Maryland election officials announced on Friday that 590,922 Maryland voters have 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. 

More than 150,000 people voted by mail-in ballot in June's primary election.

Election officials will start mailing general election ballots to voters who requested delivery by mail on Sept. 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 Oct. 27. To receive a ballot via email, a request must be submitted no later than Oct. 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 lookup website. 

To return a completed mail-in ballot, it must be postmarked by or before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 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. Nov. 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.