<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" citation="COMAR 33.05.04.02" title_num="33" subtitle_num="05" chapter_num="04" heading="Receipt of Completed VRAs.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>In this regulation, “registration deadline” means the time prescribed by law when registration closes for a particular election.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Date Stamp. When a completed VRA is received by the State Board office or a local board office, the board staff shall stamp the VRA with the date received.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>When VRA Is Timely.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A VRA received by a voter registration agency or the MVA is timely for purposes of the next election if it is received by the voter registration agency or MVA on or before the registration deadline.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Any other VRA is timely for purposes of the next election if:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>It is received by the State Board office, local board office, or authorized ballot drop box on or before the registration deadline; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The State Administrator or election director, as the case may be, finds acceptable evidence, as specified in §D of this regulation, that the VRA was mailed to the board office:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>On or before the registration deadline; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>If the registration deadline is a legal holiday as set forth in 5 U.S.C. §6103(a), on or before the day after the registration deadline.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Evidence of Mailing Date.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>For purposes of §C(2) of this regulation, the only acceptable evidence of when a VRA was mailed is:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A legible postmark by the United States Postal Service or the postal service of any other country:</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Evidence from a private mail service showing when the VRA was mailed; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The date the applicant signed the VRA if:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The VRA was mailed from outside the United States (as defined in §D(2) of this regulation); and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The postal service of the place from which the VRA was mailed does not provide a postmark.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>For purposes of §D(1)(c) of this regulation, “United States”:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Means the several states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Does not include American Samoa, the Canal Zone, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, any other territory or possession of the United States, an Army Post Office address, or a Fleet Post Office address.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Untimely VRAs.  A VRA that is not timely received as provided in §C of this regulation will be accepted, but the registration will not be processed until registration reopens.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>