Maryland election administrators are preparing for the 2026 election amid evolving legal requirements, security concerns, staffing challenges, misinformation, and ongoing scrutiny of election operations. Counties remain on the front lines, managing the people, polling places, ballots, equipment, and communications that make Election Day work. At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference, Elections in Uncertain Times: What Counties Need to Know brought together State and local election leaders to discuss preparations for November and the issues election…

Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis has responded to a recent US Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiry regarding Maryland's voter registration list maintenance procedures, outlining the State's compliance with federal and State law and detailing the processes used to maintain accurate voter rolls. The response follows a July 7 letter from DOJ's Civil Rights Division requesting information on how Maryland complies with federal laws governing voter registration list maintenance. Similar requests were sent to…

At the 2026 MACo Summer Conference, election experts will examine how court decisions, cybersecurity threats, and changing federal policies continue to reshape election administration. Counties play a central role in Maryland’s election system, funding local boards of elections and supporting the administration of every election. In recent months, election officials have navigated major court decisions involving mail-in ballots, voter registration, and federal election authority, while continuing to prepare for evolving cybersecurity threats, disinformation, and changing…

Maryland’s current process for counting mail-in ballots will remain in place after the US Supreme Court ruled today that states may continue counting ballots that voters cast by Election Day, but that election officials receive afterward. The 5-4 decision rejects a challenge to Mississippi’s mail ballot law and preserves similar laws across the country, including Maryland’s. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena…