The Maryland State Board of Elections today released the anticipated ballot-counting and election-result announcement schedules for the 2022 General Election. Marylanders will be able to track the canvassing process and election results online here.
Soon after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8, jurisdiction-specific results of in-person early voting (conducted Oct. 27-Nov. 3) and mail-in ballots counted up to Election Day will be released. In subsequent hours on Election Night, by-jurisdiction results from in-person Election Day voting will be released.
Early voting and Election Day results will include ballot counts from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. According to the local boards of elections’ preliminary canvassing schedules, ten jurisdictions* are scheduled to conduct pre-Election Day canvassing of mail-in ballots and release their early mail-in totals on Election night; the remaining 14 jurisdictions** are scheduled to begin canvassing mail-in ballots two days after Election Day, on Nov. 10.
Local boards of elections are finalizing their mail-in ballot canvassing schedules following an Oct. 7 ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals. The ruling authorized but did not mandate pre-Election Day counting of mail-in ballots. Due to the availability of space or personnel, some local boards opted to refrain from canvassing mail-in ballots until after Election Day.
“We appreciate the diligence of the local boards in assessing the most appropriate canvassing approach for their individual teams and always placing the integrity of the election process above all else to ensure the will of Maryland voters is heard through their votes,” said Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone.
Mail-in voting totals will be updated, by jurisdiction, as ballots are received and counted by the local boards. Mail-in ballots must be cast by ballot drop box no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 or be postmarked by Nov. 8. Properly completed mail-in ballots returned by the U.S. Postal Service will be accepted until Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.
Provisional ballot canvassing will be held on Nov. 16. Mail-in ballots will also be canvassed on November 18. Once all the mail-in and provisional ballots have been counted, the local boards will certify the results of local contests. Local certification cannot occur before Nov. 18.
*The Baltimore City Board of Elections and the Allegany, Baltimore, Calvert, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Saint Mary’s and Washington County Boards of Elections plan to conduct pre-Election Day canvassing of mail-in ballots.
**The Anne Arundel Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester County Boards of Election plan to begin canvassing mail-in ballots on Nov. 10.
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