2022 General Election Information

Become an Election Judge

Apply to become an Election Judge here.

Election judges are paid to help voters and to ensure a fair and accessible elections. Under Maryland law, you can serve as an election judge if you are:

• Age 16 or older*;
• Are a registered voter in Maryland;
• Physically and mentally able to work at least a 15-hour day;
• Willing to work outside your home precinct;
• Able to sit and/or stand for an extended period; and
• Can speak, read, and write English.
  • If you are bilingual or know several languages, this can also help voters in understanding the process.

* If you are 16 years old, you may be able to serve if you show your local board of elections that you are qualified to be an election judge and a parent or guardian gives permission.

If you have any questions regarding becoming an Election Judge, visit or contact the Howard County Board of Election at 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 200, Columbia MD 21046, call at 410-313-5820, or email at [email protected].

Become a Volunteer Poll Watcher

The Maryland Democratic Party is seeking volunteer poll watchers for election day and during early vote.  In less than three weeks, voters will begin casting their ballots in person. You can play a vital role in ensuring that every registered voter who comes to vote has the opportunity to vote! All you need is a phone with internet access and your commitment to free and fair elections (you will be trained over a Zoom session).

Go to https://linktr.ee/mddems, select Howard – Early Vote Poll Coverage or Howard – Election Day Poll Coverage and then select the time and the polling place you want to cover. You will immediately receive the links to sign up for the training.

Your Ballot (Click here to the Certified Sample Ballots)

Click Below for the Official 2022 Democratic Sample Ballot!

Candidates – The following candidates will appear on ballots throughout Howard County.

Federal

U.S. Senate: Chris Van Hollen, incumbent
Congressional Representatives, District 3: John Sarbanes, incumbent

Statewide

Governor / Lt. Governor: Wes Moore / Aruna Miller
Comptroller: Brooke Elizabeth Lierman
Attorney General: Anthony G. Brown

State Senate

District 9: Katie Fry Hester, incumbent
District 12: Clarence Lam, incumbent
District 13: Guy Guzzone, incumbent

House of Delegates

District 9A: Chao Wu and Natalie Ziegler (vote for up to two)
District 9B: Courtney Watson, incumbent
District 12A: Jessica Feldmark* and Terri Hill* (vote for up to two)
District 13: Vanessa Atterbeary. incumbent, Pamela Lanman Guzzone,  Jen Terassa, incumbent  (vote for up to three)

County Offices and Council

County Executive: Calvin Ball, incumbent

District 1: Elizabeth “Liz” Walsh, incumbent
District 2: Opel Jones, incumbent
District 3: Christiana Rigby, incumbent
District 4: Deb Jung, incumbent
District 5: Joan Pontius

States Attorney: Rich Gibson, incumbent
Register of Wills: Byron Macfarlane, incumbent
Orphans’ Court Judge: Ajile F. Brown | Elizabeth Ann Fitch, incumbent | Nicole Bormel Miller (vote up to 3)
Clerk of the Circuit Court: Wayne A. Robey, incumbent
Sheriff: Marcus Harris, incumbent

Question A and the 5 Constitutional Amendment Questions

Howard County will have 6 questions total on the ballot. The first 5 questions will be Constitutional Amendments which asks voters if they are either For the Constitutional Amendment or Against the Constitutional Amendments. These 5 questions will be on all ballots in Maryland. The 6th questions, Question A, is Howard County specific and will ask if voter are For the Law or Against the Law for a law that was passed by a majority of County Democrats.

The Howard County Democratic Central Committee voted in their position to support, be against, or abstain from each question as follows:

Question 1 – Abstains

Question 2 – For the Constitutional Amendment

Question 3 – Abstains

Question 4 – For the Constitutional Amendment

Question 5 – Abstains

Question A – For the Law

To view detailed information on the above 6 Questions that will appear on Howard County Ballots, please see our analysis here.

Ballot Drop Boxes

As of now, mail-in ballots are arrive at voters mailing addresses. Voters who choose to utilize ballot drop boxes may submit their properly completed mail-in ballots at any official drop box in their county of residence. Ballots may be submitted from the time a ballot box is installed and opened until Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. Ballot boxes will be locked promptly at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Locations for 10 Official Ballot Drop Boxes throughout Howard County. Locations list available online in English and Spanish.

• Bain 50+ Center 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044
• Elkridge 50+ Center 6540 Washington Boulevard, Elkridge, MD 21075
• Gary J Arthur Community Center 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, MD 21723
• George Howard Building 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043
• Howard County Board of Elections 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MD 21046
• Howard County Scaggsville Police Department 11226 Scaggsville Road, Laurel, MD 20723
• Meadowbrook Athletic Complex 5001 Meadowbrook Lane, Ellicott City, MD 21043
• North Laurel Community Center 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel, MD 20723
• St. John Baptist Church 9055 Tamar Drive, Columbia, MD 21045
• West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department 12535 Old Frederick Road, Sykesville, MD 21784

Early Voting Locations – Thursday, Oct. 27 through Thursday, Nov. 3

During Early Voting, you may vote at any of the below locations. This policy is different from Election Day, where it is highly encouraged to go to the polling site assigned to you. Generally your polling site is the closest polling site in relation to your home.

5 Early Voting Locations in Howard County are as follows (online in Spanish here):

• The Bain Senior Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044
• Gary J Arthur Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, MD 21723
• Meadowbrook Athletic Complex, 5001 Meadowbrook Lane, Ellicott City, MD 21043
• North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel, MD 20723
• Saint John Baptist Church – Fellowship Hall, 9055 Tamar Drive, Columbia, MD 21045

Early voting will be held from Thursday, Oct. 27 through Thursday, Nov. 3. Early voting centers will be open each day during that window from 7am to 8pm.

Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 8th. from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As long as you are in line at by 8 p.m. you will be able to vote. One of the easiest ways to know the location of your polling site on Election Day, is to use the State Board of Elections Voter Look-Up website. Location of Election Day polling sites can be found here, however, it is highly advised to used the State Board of Elections Voter Look-Up website to find your polling site.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please go to your designated polling location by looking it up at the above Voter Look-Up website.

Signs and Electioneering – Early Voting and Polling Places on Election Day

1. NO signs may be placed at any polling place or early voting center before 5pm the day before voting begins at any site.  Any signage posted before 5pm will be taken down.
2. ALL signs must be removed after early voting and election day by 8am the day following the end of each voting segment (November 4 and November 8.)
3. The “NO ELECTIONEERING” line is 100 feet from the front outside door(s) of the polling place and continues in a semi-circle at 100 feet all the way around said entrance(s).  For Early Voting, the “No Electioneering” signs will already be posted before 5pm, so they will be easily seen before you start to put signs out.  Please also remember that some “No Electioneering” lines MUST take into consideration public safety at some of our polling places, so the line may be moved slightly more or less than 100 feet to take into account the welfare of the people standing outside electioneering.  We do this for your protection.
4. When parking at any facility, DO NOT use the parking directly in front of a polling place.  Please use parking as far back as possible for each individual that is electioneering so that parking for voters is minimally impacted.
   If you are electioneering at Meadowbrook Athletic Complex for Early Voting, DO NOT park in front of the building.  You must park behind the building to give the voters ample parking up front.  We will ask people to move their vehicles or simply leave if this is not followed.
   
5. DO NOT place signs at the ends of entrances or exits to polling places or early voting centers.  Please allow space for people to see when coming into or exiting a site in their vehicle.  This is the #1 complaint that we receive during early voting- signage causing public safety issues.
   We will be placing signage in areas during Early Voting that will say, “No Political Signs in This Area.”  These signs are to ensure that our Early Voting Signs that are directional for voters, and areas that are to be kept clear for public safety are not used for political signs.  Any signs that we find in areas that we have placed our signs will be taken down. 

Any questions on the above can be referred to Guy Mickley, Election Director, at [email protected].