On Election Day, voters in Maryland are set to decide on a new governor, a ballot measure to legalize marijuana and a slew of local races including some county executive contests in the D.C. area that could be close.
After eight years in office, Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is blocked by term limits from running again. That has set up a showdown between Democrat Wes Moore and one-term Republican Del. Dan Cox, who knocked off Hogan鈥檚 hand-picked successor in the general election.
In addition, voters are weighing in on the state鈥檚 next attorney general, comptroller, eight U.S. House races and a U.S. Senate seat.
Here鈥檚 everything you need to know:
Mail-in ballots
If you have already requested a mail-in ballot, the Maryland State Board of Elections says ballots are now being mailed.
Voters have until Nov. 1 to request a mail-in ballot sent via the U.S. Postal Service. The deadline to request a link to download a mail-in ballot from your computer is Nov. 4.
You can or by and mailing it to your . (The form is .)
The State Board of Elections got permission to tabulate mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day, in order to stave off the lengthy delays in vote-counting seen during the July primary. In some close races, vote counting stretched on for weeks due to the large number of mail-in ballots.
As of Oct. 10, more than 554,000 voters have and about 4,100 have .
Ballot drop boxes
A total of 281 ballot drop boxes have been installed across the state. You can return your mail-in ballot to any drop box as long as it鈥檚 in your county of residence.
You can find a .
Ballot drop boxes will be locked promptly at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.
In-person voting on Election Day
Election Day is Nov. 8. If you want to vote in-person, .
Maryland has same-day voter registration on Election Day. .
The polls are open 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Early voting
Early voting, which started Oct. 27, ran through Thursday, Nov. 3.
Some of the early voting centers changed since July鈥檚 primary. .
Early voting centers were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What鈥檚 on the ballot
Governor
Democrat , a combat veteran, author and former CEO of a poverty-fighting organization, faces Republican , a first-term state delegate.
Moore has promoted his commitment to education and said he will address gun violence and a rise in crime with investments in violence intervention programs.
During the Democratic primary Moore defeated eight other Democratic challengers. But he faced accusations that he in interviews for his 2010 book 鈥淭he Other Wes Moore,” and failed to correct interviewers who misstated his background.
Moore’s running mate is Aruna Miller, a former Maryland state delegate.
For his part, Cox has drawn sharp criticism from both Democrats and current Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who has dismissed the candidate as a 鈥淨-anon whack job.鈥�
Cox, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, fought to stop the early processing of mail-in ballots sought by the state board of elections and has .
Cox, who opposed many COVID-19 closures and other pandemic measures, said his message about freedom represents the future of the Republican Party.
Cox’s running mate is Gordana Schifanelli, a law professor at the Annapolis Naval Academy.
Recent polls have shown Moore 鈥� 60% to 28%.
In addition to the major party candidates, there are three third-party candidates running:
- and running mate Christiana Logansmith are running on the Libertarian ticket;
- and Patrick Elder are running on the Green Party ticket;
- and Cathy White are running on the Working Class Party ticket.
Attorney general
In the race for attorney general, Democrat Anthony Brown faces Republican Michael Peroutka.
Brown is Maryland鈥檚 former lieutenant governor and current U.S. House representative for the 4th District. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2014.
Peroutka, a former Anne Arundel County Council member, was once affiliated with a neo-Confederate group and has .
The position is currently held by Attorney General Brian Frosh, who is stepping down after two terms.
Comptroller
In the comptroller race, Democrat faces Republican .
Lierman has served in the Maryland General Assembly since 2015 representing the 46th District in Baltimore City.
Glassman currently serves as the Harford County executive.
The comptroller acts as the state鈥檚 tax collector and is one vote on the powerful three-person Board of Public Works, which oversees the state spending.
Lierman and Glassman made their respective pitches to voters sponsored by the League of Women Voters and other organizations.
5 proposed constitutional amendments
Maryland voters will also get the chance to weigh in on five , including a measure to legalize the personal use of marijuana.
Question 4, as it鈥檚 known, legalizes the possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana, or up to two plants, for adults 21 and older.
A recent poll, conducted by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland found broad support for legalization, with 3 in 4 voters supporting the measure.
If approved by voters, Maryland would become the 20th U.S. state to legalize adult use of marijuana. Voters in D.C. legalized recreational use of pot in 2014. The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation in 2021 legalizing adult recreational use.
Under current Maryland law, possession of more than 10 grams (about 0.35 ounces) is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Possession of less than 10 grams is a civil offense punishable only by a fine.
The Maryland General Assembly has already spelled out policy changes that would take effect if voters approve the new referendum, including increasing penalties for smoking marijuana in public and making it illegal to smoke marijuana while driving.
The four other proposed constitutional amendments are:
Question 1: This measure would rename Maryland鈥檚 two appeals courts. The Court of Special Appeals is the second-highest court in Maryland and the Court of Appeals is the highest court. This has often led to some confusion. Under the proposal, the Court of Special Appeals would be renamed the Maryland Appellate Court and the Court of Appeals would become the Supreme Court of Maryland.
Question 2: This measure would change the eligibility requirements for Maryland state senators and delegates. Among other requirements, currently, these officeholders have to have resided in the districts they represent for at least six months before the date of an election. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, they would have to have both resided in and maintained a primary place of abode in their districts for at least six months prior to the date of an election.
Question 3: This allows lawmakers to enact legislation limiting the right to a jury trial in a civil case in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $25,000. Currently, the Maryland Constitution allows lawmakers to limit jury trials in civil cases in which the amount exceeds $15,000. In these cases, judges, rather than juries, determine the verdict.
Question 5: This would repeal a requirement that voters in Howard County elect three orphans鈥� court judges and instead require Howard County Circuit judges to alternately sit as an orphans鈥� court. Orphans’ courts are Maryland鈥檚 version of probate courts, in which judges preside over the administration of estates.
US House
Among congressional races, all eyes are on the 6th District, whose borders have shifted making it potentially more fertile ground for a Republican pickup.
Democratic Rep. , the founder of Total Wine & More, was first elected to the seat in 2018, and faces three-term Republican Del. .
Trone defeated Parrott for the same seat in 2020 by 20 points. However, after a contentious redistricting effort, the borders of the 6th District have shifted, making it potentially more promising ground for Republicans. Under the new borders, the district includes all of Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties, and a portion of Montgomery County
The University of Virginia Center for Politics 聽classifies the race as 鈥渓eans Democratic,” but it’s considered the most .
Overall, Democrats currently hold seven of the state鈥檚 eight House seats.
There are three other congressional districts in the broader D.C. area. Democrats are favored in all three of them.
In the 4th District, which includes a large swath of Prince George鈥檚 and a small sliver of Montgomery County, Democrat faces Republican .
Ivey, the former state鈥檚 attorney, beat out eight other candidates, including former Rep. Donna Edwards, for the Democratic nomination.
In the 5th District, Democratic House Majority Leader , one of the current longest-serving members of Congress, is running for reelection. Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, has held the seat since 1981. He faces Republican .
In the 8th District, Democrat , who was first elected in 2016, faces Republican and Libertarian .
Senate
One of Maryland鈥檚 two Senate seats is also up for grabs. Sen. , a Democrat who was first elected in 2016, is running for reelection against Republican .
Chafee beat out nine other Republicans in the July primary to challenge Van Hollen.
Van Hollen won the seat in 2016 with more than 60% of the vote.
County executive, council races
There are also a slew of county executive races and other local contests.
In Montgomery County, Maryland鈥檚 most populous county, Democratic Executive , is seeking a second term.
He faces Republican .
In the July primary, Elrich narrowly defeated challenger David Blair by just 32 votes 鈥� out of nearly 140,000 votes cast.
However, in heavily Democratic Montgomery County, Elrich is favored to win the general election contest.
There are also a number of council races on the ballot, including all four at-large seats and two new district seats that will expand the size of the council to 11 members.
At-large candidates:
- Ralph P. Fiotes (R), broker and business owner
- (R)
- (R), a developer/architect
- (D), currently serving as the council president and running for a second term
- (D), currently serving as council vice president and running for a second term
- (D), running for a second term.
- (D), former Gaithersburg City Council member
In District 2, which is in the western half of the county and includes Germantown, Clarksburg and Dickerson, current member Craig Rice is term-limited. The candidates to succeed him are:
- (R), an Air Force veteran and former Pentagon management analyst
- (D), CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.
District 3 is in the center of the county and includes Gaithersburg and Rockville.
- (R), an IT administrator and developer
- (D), incumbent council member running for his third term.
滨苍听District 4, a bow-tie-shaped sliver of the county that includes Silver Spring and North Bethesda. The current council member, Nancy Navarro, is term-limited. Candidates to succeed her are:
- (R), a public relations professional
- (D), mayor of Takoma Park
District 5 is along the eastern edge of the county and includes parts of Leisure World, White Oak and Burtonsville. The current council member, Tom Hucker, is stepping down. Candidates to replace him are:
- (R), a lawyer, real-estate broker and tax consultant
- (D), senior legislative organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy and former MCPS teacher
The new District 6聽includes Wheaton, Aspen Hill and Glenmont.
- (R), a Deloitte consultant and former Homeland Security staffer
- (D), former vice chair of the Montgomery County Park and Planning Commission
The new聽District 7聽is in the 鈥渦pcounty鈥� portion of the county and includes Sandy Spring, Olney, Montgomery Village and Damascus.
- (R), a businessman
- (D), assistant state attorney general
If all Democrats prevail in the council seats, women would make up a majority of the council for the first time since the 1980s.
In Prince George’s County, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is running unopposed in the general election for a second term.
There is only one competitive county council race on the ballot in Prince George’s County.
In District 7, which includes Capitol Heights, Marlow Heights, Suitland and Temple Hills, a Democratic newcomer who defeated incumbent Rodney Streeter in the July primary, faces a Republican challenger.
- (R), retired from the D.C. Department of Corrections
- (D), co-founder of PG Changemakers
Three other county executive races in Maryland are expected to be much closer contests.
In Frederick County, Executive Jan Gardner is stepping down after two terms, leaving an open seat that is hotly contested.
County Council member , who has said she will model herself on Gardner, is up against two-term state Sen. .
Frederick County has only had a charter form of government 鈥� with a county executive and county council 鈥� since 2014.
The Howard County executive race has shaped up to be a rematch of the 2018 contest.
Democratic County Executive faces former Republican County Executive .
Ball defeated Kittleman four years ago, 53% to 47%.
In Anne Arundel County, Executive , a Democrat, is facing a challenge from Republican .
