# Election Law (GEL)

## Title 9. Voting

### Subtitle 5. Voting by Mail in Special Elections

#### Section 9-502

(a)

  (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a local board shall mail by nonforwardable mail a vote-by-mail ballot to each registered voter who is eligible to vote in a special election.

  (2) A local board is not required to mail a vote-by-mail ballot to a voter if the voter has requested that the ballot be sent by other means.

  (3) A local board is not required to mail specimen ballots to the registered voters of the county under Sec. 8-102 of this article.

(b) A voter is not required to submit an application to receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

(c) In Montgomery County:

  (1) each vote-by-mail ballot shall be accompanied by a postage-paid envelope in which a voter may return the voted ballot to the local board; and

  (2) the local board shall pay the cost of postage-paid envelopes provided under this subsection.

(d) A local board shall send a vote-by-mail ballot to each eligible voter at least 30 days before the day of a special election.

(e)

  (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a vote-by-mail ballot shall be mailed to the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list for each eligible voter.

  (2) A registered voter may request to receive a vote-by-mail ballot at an address other than the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list by:

    (i) submitting an absentee ballot application in accordance with Sec. 9-305(a) of this title not later than the Tuesday preceding the day of a special election, if the voter is temporarily absent from the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list; or

    (ii) notifying a local board of a change of address not later than the Tuesday preceding the day of a special election, if the voter's residence has changed from the address that is on file in the statewide voter registration list to another location within the State.

(f) A local board shall issue a replacement vote-by-mail ballot to a voter if the election director of the local board has reasonable grounds to believe that the vote-by-mail ballot previously issued to the voter has been lost, destroyed, spoiled, or not received.

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Md. Code Ann., Election Law (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)