2020 Presidential General Election - Process for Canvassing Vote By Mail Ballots

  1. Vote by mail applications – Governor Larry Hogan directed the State Board of Elections to issue a vote by mail ballot application to every registered voter in Maryland. As of October 13, 2020, the Montgomery County Board of Elections (MCBOE) has received and processed 344,124 vote by mail ballot applications.
  2. Application processing – Once your vote by mail ballot application has been received, it takes approximately seven (7) to ten (10) days for the State Board of Elections’ vendor to send your ballot. The ballot is marked “sent” in the State Board of Elections database and voters can go to the State Board of Elections “voter lookup” link at https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch to check the status of their application.
  3. Casting your ballot - Once you have received and completed your ballot, you have the option of returning your ballot via the United States Postal Service using the postage paid envelope that comes with the ballot. Or you can drop off your ballot at one of the MCBOE drop boxes throughout Montgomery County. For a list of drop box locations, please visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/dropbox.html. The drop boxes are open 24/7 and are under constant video surveillance. Staff picks up ballots at each drop box at least two (2) times per day at brings them to the Board of Elections.
  4. Ballot Processing
    1. Ballots Bundled and Oath Checked. Once the ballots arrive at the Board of Elections, MCBOE staff place the ballots in bundles of one hundred (100). While doing so, the staff checks to make sure that the oath has been signed. If the oath has not been signed, the ballot is removed from the batch and staff will contact the voter to have the oath signed. Voters have the opportunity to sign their oath until Friday, November 13 at 10:00 a.m., which represents the beginning of the last day of the canvass.
    2. Ballot processing order. Ballots are processed in the order they are received at the Montgomery County Board of Elections. We strongly encourage you to return your ballot as soon as possible.
    3. Ballots Received. After the ballots are placed in bundles of one hundred (100), the bar code on the envelope is scanned into MDVOTERS, which is the Statewide voter database. Once the bar code is scanned into MDVOTERS, your ballot status in the State Board of Elections database changes from “sent” to “received.” Again, you can go to the State Board of Elections “voter lookup” link at https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch to check the status of your ballot and if you have provided an email address, you will also receive an email that your ballot has been received.
  5. Canvass – Once the ballot bar code is scanned into MDVOTERS at the Board of Elections, the ballot is taken to the Plum Gar Community Recreation Center, located at 19561 Scenery Drive, Germantown, Maryland 20876 to be canvassed. Canvassers open the envelopes, review the ballots to make sure they will scan properly, and refer any questionable ballots to the Board of Canvassers. The canvassing process is being livestreamed and may be observed in person although, due to COVID-19 restrictions, there is limited availability. For more details regarding the dates of the canvass, how to sign up to observe the canvass in person and/or to access the link to observe the canvass online, please visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/2020GeneralElection/general-ballot-canvass.html. The Board of Canvassers will also have referral meetings if there is a question as to whether a ballot should be accepted. The dates and times of the Board referral meetings are also listed on the canvass schedule on the website.
  6. Once your ballot has been scanned, your ballot status in the State Board of Elections database changes to “accepted”.