BOARD OF ELECTIONS IS READY!

The Montgomery County Board of Elections invites candidates, campaign representatives, and the Democratic and Republican Central Committees to participate in the Board meeting scheduled for September 16, 2024. at 1:30 PM, where we will present our plans for administering the 2024 Presidential General election and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions or bring up concerns about the general election.

The meeting will be in-person, with an option for virtual participation. It will be held at the Board of Elections offices at 18753 N. Frederick Avenue. Suite 210. Gaithersburg. Maryland 20879, while the link for virtual participation will be available at 777VOTE.ORG.

Some issues that have arisen in previous elections and we plan to highlight include:

No electioneering zones for Early Voting Centers and Election Day polling places - Under § l6-206(b)(2) of the Maryland Election Article, our Board sets the no electioneering zone only in Montgomery County between twenty­ five (25) feet and one hundred (100) feet from the designated voter entrance to the polling place building for both Early Voting Centers and Election Day polling places. Maps of those no-electioneering zones are available on our website at 777VOTE.ORG, Voting Locations page.

No electioneering zones for Drop Boxes - The no-electioneering zone that applies to all fifty-eight (58) Official Election Drop Boxes throughout the County is twenty-five (25) feet. 

Storage of campaign materials at Early Voting locations - In past elections, campaigns requested to store items (such as tables, chairs, etc.) at early voting locations. Storage options vary among the fourteen (14) facilities that are hosting Early Voting Centers for the 2024 elections as follows:

i. Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg and Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department­ - Materials may not be stored at these two locations.

ii. Twelve Montgomery County facilities. The County has agreed to store tables, chairs, and voting materials in areas outside of the voting room. The County will not be liable for any campaign material or equipment that may be lost or damaged in some respect.

Due to limited storage space, some materials might not be able to be stored overnight as the available storage will only be available on a first-come first-served basis. The Board would appreciate courteous engagement among campaigns and with the staff at these facilities. 

Campaign signs - Section10-101(a)(3) of the Maryland Election Article allows campaign signs on the premises of early voting centers starting 5pm the night before early voting begins until 8am the day after early voting ends and on the premises of Election Day polling places starting 5pm the night before Election Day until 8am the day after Election Day. The Board's agreements with all of the county, municipal, and private facilities hosting Early Voting Centers, Election Day polling places, and/or Drop Boxes gives all candidates and campaigns a few more hours until 12 noon (rather than 8am) the day after voting ends at that location to retrieve campaign signs. We ask all of you to please abide by these hours for setting up and retrieving your campaign signs. If not, your signs may be taken down and/or discarded.

Parking - We would appreciate your assistance in arranging parking at Early Voting Centers, Election Day polling places, and near Drop Boxes to allow voters to park near the entrance of the voting location or drop box. This would positively impact voters' overall voting experience, and it is especially important for our elderly and/or disabled voters. We would appreciate your encouraging your campaign personnel to park further away from the entrance or, if possible, offsite.

Mail-in ballots - We also would like to inform you that mail-in ballots will be mailed no later than Saturday, September 21, 2024, to military and overseas voters, and no later than Monday, September 23, 2024, to voters who are on the permanent vote-by-mail list, and voters who requested a mail-in ballot by Friday, September 6, 2024 (60 days before Election Day). The Board would appreciate your efforts to invite voters to return their mail-in ballots as soon as they are voted. The County's additional 57 drop boxes will be installed before the ballots are mailed and the Board will start canvassing returned mail-in ballots on Tuesday October 15, 2024. Further details about the mail-in ballot canvas will be available at the September 16 Board meeting or at 777VOTE.ORG.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to seeing you on September 16, 2024 at 1:30pm at the next Board of Elections meeting.

Here is the link to letter.