Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State is expanding its leave incentives for its employees to serve as local election judges for the upcoming July 19 Primary Election and the November 8 General Election.

Local boards of elections are struggling to recruit election judges, in addition to complications with pandemic-driven supply shortages, the spread of false information, and administrative issues with canvassing mail-in ballots.

“Election judges play an important role in the democratic process, and state employees have always stepped up to serve,” said Governor Hogan. “For this election cycle, we are expanding our recruitment efforts to include the primary election, and extending these leave incentives to our contractual employees. It is important for local election boards to get people signed up and trained quickly once they express interest.”

• Primary Election. State employees who serve as an election judge on Primary Election Day (July 19)—which is not a state holiday—or any day of early voting will receive 16 hours of administrative leave for each day of service. For the first time, state contractual employees will also be eligible for this leave.

• Election Day. State employees who serve as an election judge on Election Day (November 8)—a state holiday—will receive pay for the holiday and an additional eight hours of administrative leave. While Election Day is not a paid holiday for state contractual employees, they will be able to receive eight hours of administrative leave for their service.

The Department of Budget and Management has posted and distributed this information to state agencies.

For the 2020 general election, the State’s aggressive recruiting efforts helped drive more than 11,000 Marylanders to sign up to be election judges.

Visit the State Board of Elections website for more information on becoming an election judge: elections.maryland.gov.