City of New Carrollton, MD General Election Procedures

The Board of Elections will oversee the entire election;

There will be no absentee ballot process; and

There will be no early voting.

In a vote-by-mail election, on Election Day there will only be ballot drop-off at the Municipal Center from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. There will be no in-person voting.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, in an election that uses vote-by-mail ballots, the Board of Elections may begin to organize the ballots to provide voter history. Votes may not be counted or tabulated until the polls close on Election Day.

§ 50-12 Vote-by-mail general provisions.

Any person qualified to vote in a City election may use a vote-by-mail ballot pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

Mail-in ballots for a general election must be mailed or distributed no more than thirty (30) days and no less than twenty-four (24) days prior to an election to which they apply. Postage for transmitting the ballot material to the voter and postage for the return of ballots shall be paid for by the City of New Carrollton.

The Board will mail notice to all registered voters in the City informing them of a vote-by-mail election, voting deadlines and dates, and times when an official ballot can be dropped off as determined by the Board of Elections. The Board of Elections will also use the City of New Carrollton's social media platforms and official publications to provide official notice of any election.

All ballots shall show the name of each candidate nominated for elective office in accordance with the provisions of the City Charter, arranged in alphabetical order by office with no party or principal designation of any kind.

A mail-in ballot shall be counted only if it is received by the Board of Elections by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

A registered voter may obtain a replacement ballot if the original ballot was destroyed, spoiled, lost, or for any reason not received by the registered voter. A registered voter who obtains a ballot in accordance with this subsection will be required to sign an affidavit, in a form approved by the Board of Elections, specifying the reason for requesting the replacement ballot.

If the City receives more than one ballot from a registered voter, the first ballot received by the City will be the only ballot counted.

Any vote-by-mail ballot that contains a vote for a person who has ceased to be a candidate shall not be counted for that candidate, but such vote shall not invalidate the remainder of the ballot.

§ 50-13 Form and contents of vote-by-mail ballots and related material.

The Board shall prescribe the size, form arrangement and printed contents of vote-by-mail ballots, except that such ballots shall:

Be in paper form;

Display the heading "Vote-By-Mail Ballot" printed in large letters in a clear space at the top of each paper ballot;

Display the following instructions printed in large letters in a clear space below the ballot heading: "Mark ballot by filling in the proper space after candidate or question. Do not erase or make identifying marks.";

(4)

List candidates by office and then alphabetically by last name within each office; and

(5)

List referendum questions, if any, following the list of candidates for all offices.

The Board shall prescribe the size, form arrangement and printed contents of the following material, which shall be included with every vote-by-mail ballot:

Vote-by-mail ballot material envelopes, providing for a covering envelope, a ballot envelope and a return envelope;

Printed instructions for the marking and casting of vote-by-mail ballots; and

A certification of assistance form, which form shall be completed by any person assisting another voter who is unable to mark their own ballot due to a physical disability.

§ 50-14 Delivery of completed vote-by-mail ballots.

Completed vote-by-mail ballots may be delivered:

By mail to the address designated by the Board; or

By hand at the election drop box at the Municipal Center on Election Day; or

To the Board at any other place and time designated by the Board.

§ 50-15 Complaints.

The Board shall investigate and resolve any written complaint or contest relating to voting, the validity of any ballot, candidate certification, violations of this chapter, or other City election matters within the authority of the Board pursuant to the City Charter or Code.

All complaints must be submitted in writing using a City of New Carrollton election complaint form. The form can be obtained from the City of New Carrollton website, under elections, or by calling the City Clerk to have one mailed. All official complaints must be submitted on the official form. The forms can be mailed to the City of New Carrollton, attention: Board of Elections or submitted electionically to: elections@newcarrolltonmd.gov.

The Chair of the Board of Elections will officially respond to all complaints received by the Board of Elections. The Board of Elections will only respond to official written complaints.

When reviewing a complaint or other potential violation within its authority to review pursuant to this chapter, the Board has the power to:

Conduct a reasonable investigation;

Conduct one (1) or more hearings;