(ANNAPOLIS – November 7, 2022) – The Maryland State Board of Elections reminds journalists of 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.
After the polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 and voters in line are inside the voting room, jurisdiction-specific and unofficial results from 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 and unofficial results from in-person Election Day voting will be released.
Unofficial early voting and Election Day results will include ballot counts from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. Eleven jurisdictions* conducted pre-Election Day canvassing of mail-in ballots and will release their early mail-in totals on Election night; the remaining 13 jurisdictions** will begin and the other eleven jurisdictions will continue canvassing mail-in ballots two days after Election Day, on Nov. 10.
Local boards of elections finalized 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.
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, turned in at a local election office prior to 8 p.m., or be postmarked by Nov. 8. Properly completed and timely mailed 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, Talbot, and Washington County Boards of Elections conducted pre-Election Day canvassing of mail-in ballots.
**The Anne Arundel, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester County Boards of Election will begin canvassing mail-in ballots on Nov. 10.
