Ballot Drop Boxes In Anne Arundel County: Full List, Explanation

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has touched every facet of life, including the upcoming general election. To slow the spread of the virus, Maryland expanded the ways Marylanders can vote this fall.

Marylanders can cast their ballot on election day, head to the polls early, vote by mail, or place their selections in a drop box. The final option is the newest.

How To Use The Drop Boxes

To use the drop-offs, residents must first check to see if they are registered to vote at this link. If voters are not registered, they may do so here.

The deadline to register is Oct. 13. Voters may also register at the polls on Election Day, but they will not receive a ballot in time to use the drop boxes. That means those who register on Nov. 3 will have to vote in person.

After confirming their registration, interested Marylanders must secure an absentee ballot. The State Board of Elections mailed all registered voters an absentee ballot application in late August. Marylanders should have received these around Sept. 1.

Election officials emphasize that these are not absentee ballots. They are applications to receive an absentee ballot. This differs from the June 2 primary, when all Marylanders received mail-in ballots, as coronavirus was spreading faster in the summer.

Residents may mail their completed absentee ballot applications to the State Board of Elections. Voters may also apply online. Either way, the Board of Elections must receive ballot requests by Oct. 20.

The board will then send out the requested absentee ballots by mail and email, whichever a resident chooses. After voters receive their ballots, they may take it to one of 32 drop boxes in Anne Arundel County.

The drop-offs provide a quicker alternative at the same voting sites. Cameras will monitor each box and election judges will empty them three times-per-day.

All 31 voting locations will have a drop box, as will the county's Board of Elections office in Glen Burnie. The ballot drop-offs will remain open until polls close on Election Day.

Boxes were supposed to be set up by Oct. 1, but a manufacturer delay postponed the delivery of about half the boxes. Those 14 boxes will open Oct. 17. The other 17 opened on Wednesday.

County Executive Steaurt Pittman explained the delay on Twitter. The photo below lists all of the drop box locations and when each one will reopen. All the sites are also listed on the Anne Arundel County Board of Election's website.

Voters can also return their absentee ballots by mail. Their vote will count as long as it's postmarked by Nov. 3.

To learn about mail, early and election day voting options, check out Patch's voting guide.

RELATED:

• Absentee Ballot Scam Hits Anne Arundel County: Board Of Elections
• How To Vote In Anne Arundel: In-Person, Mail-In Options Explained
• Tell Patch If You See Election Shenanigans In Anne Arundel County
• Mail Voting Stressed By Pittman, Gives Coronavirus Election Plan

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.