Voter Empowerment

Yellow background with text that says, "Voter empowerment. Empoderamiento de votantes." There are four voting stickers and a hand putting a ballot in a ballot box.

The ACLU of Maryland's Election Protection campaign is a statewide effort to reduce barriers to voting and fight against voter disenfranchisement, particularly for voters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We do that by educating voters about their rights, advocating for equitable and accessible voting options, assisting residents with questions and concerns, and addressing issues through investigations and legal advocacy.

ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE

Hotline Number: (667) 219-2625

For the General election, the Election Protection Hotline will be open October 26 – November 8, 2022, for residents to call with  questions or concerns about voting in Maryland. Our hotline staff can provide information about voter eligibility, voter registration, voting by mail, early voting, Election Day, drop boxes, and more. We resolve issues for individual voters and investigate possible violations of voting rights in Maryland.

Read our Elections Matter blog for the 2022 Maryland election season.


ON THIS PAGE


KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - VOTING

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YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE IF YOU ARE:

  • 18 years old by the General Election (November 8, 2022).
  • A Maryland resident.
  • A U.S. citizen.
  • Not currently incarcerated for a felony conviction.

YES, YOU CAN VOTE IF YOU ARE:

  • Unhoused.
  • In jail or prison pre-trial or serving a misdemeanor sentence.
  • On parole or probation.
  • A returning citizen (you've been in jail or prison before but are out now).
  • In college (you can vote at your permanent address or where you live while attending school).
  • In confined housing, such as a juvenile detention facility, mental health facility, or nursing home.

 Learn more about voter eligibility here.


BLACK VOTERS MATTER

The Expand the Ballot, Expand the Vote coalition gears up for the local Maryland midterm elections by announcing their new voting rights initiative. Watch the highlights video below from the Black Voters Matter press conference on October 18, 2022.

Get updates from the coalition on Facebook and Twitter.

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YOUR ELECTION CHECKLIST

  1. Register to vote! There are several ways to register to vote in Maryland: online, by mail, or in person. Find out more information here.
  2. Check to make sure your voter registration information is accurate! Use the Voter Lookup tool on the Maryland State Board of Elections website to make sure your information is current. Use the same tool to check where you can vote and which district you are in. Some people's districts have changed because of redistricting.
  3. Vote! There are several ways to vote in Maryland: by mail, in person during early voting, or in person on Election Day.

    – Want to vote by mail? Request a mail-in ballot and then mail your ballot in or put it in a drop box before the deadline (key dates and deadlines are listed below).
    – Want to vote in person? Vote early at an early voting center or on Election Day at your polling place.
    – Need to find your polling place? Use the Voter Lookup tool on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.
    – Need to find an early voting center? Early voting center locations will be updated as soon as that information is available.

MARYLAND'S 2022 GENERAL ELECTION

The Election Protection Team at the ACLU of Maryland worked to reduce barriers to voting and fight against voter disenfranchisement, particularly for voters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The 2022 Election Protection Report documents both the ACLU of Maryland’s Election Protection work for the 2022 Primary and General Elections and details recommendations to improve voting infrastructure, increase accountability of the State and Local Boards of Elections, and improve accessibility of the ballot, including for Marylanders in jails and prisons.

Read the report