Prince George’s County Board of Elections
2020 Presidential Primary Election FAQs
1) QUESTION: What is the date for the Presidential Primary Election?
ANSWER: Vote by mail ballots must be postmarked by June 2, 2020. Beginning on May 21, 2020, voters can drop their ballot into an authorized drop box by 8pm on June 2, 2020. In addition, four vote centers will be open on Election Day, June 2, 2020 for limited, in-person voting. (See Question #18 for drop box locations or Question #7 for the in-person voting locations.)
2) QUESTION: I received my ballot packet and it did not include the English instructions. What should I do?
ANSWER: The State Board of Elections began mailing the ballots during the first week of May. Some voter’s packets did not include the English instructions. However, the English version of the instructions will be mailed to each impacted voter. In the meantime, please call 301-341-7300 or visit our website at elections@mypgc.us to receive the English instructions.
3) QUESTION: I did not receive my ballot packet. What should I do?
ANSWER: The State Board of Elections began mailing the ballots during the first week of May. If you did not receive your ballot, please contact
301-341-7300, go to the Board of Elections office Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 4:00pm or email election@co.pg.md.us to receive an emailed ballot. Ballots can no longer be mailed.
4) QUESTION: I called and asked for a new ballot because I hadn’t
received it. However, I received my original ballot and the reissued ballot. What should I do?
ANSWER: Please vote one ballot, sign the oath and mail it or place it in a drop box. Do NOT vote two ballots. The Board of Elections has protocols to determine whether a voter attempted to vote twice. It is a criminal offense.
5) QUESTION: Why does the ballot still have the April 28, 2020 date?
ANSWER: There was an insufficient amount of time to reprint the ballots after the election date was changed. Using this ballot will not impact your vote. However, your returned ballot envelope must be postmarked by June 2, 2020.
6) QUESTION: How do voters know if they are registered to vote or
how can they change their address?
ANSWER: Voters can check the status of their registration by visiting https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch If voters have a driver’s license, they can change their address online using the following https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration/InstructionsStep1
If a voter does not have internet access, call 301-341-7300 and ask a representative to verify your registration status.
7) QUESTION: What does limited in-person voting mean?
ANSWER: If a voter is unable to vote by mail, on June 2, 2020, the following vote centers will be open from 7am-8pm:
- • College Park Community Center, 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park, MD 20740
- • Bowie Gymnasium, 4100 Northview Drive, Bowie, MD 20716
- • Kentland Community Center, 2413 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover, MD 20785
- • Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex, 7007 Bock Road Fort Washington, MD 20744
All CDC guidelines regarding social distancing will be followed. As a result, a limited number of voters will be allowed in the voting sites at one time and there may be long wait times. Same Day Registration will also be available. It is important to follow the Governor’s advice to vote your ballot in the mail.
8) QUESTION: I am not a Democrat or Republican. Am I able to vote
in the Primary?
ANSWER: If you affiliate with any party other than Democratic or Republican, you are not eligible to vote in the primary election. However, you will receive a non-partisan ballot if you live in the Board of Education District 4 or 7.
9) QUESTION: What is the safest way to vote?
ANSWER: To reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, voters are strongly encouraged to vote by mail. The State Board of Elections will mail all eligible voters a ballot. No postage is needed to return your ballot – you will receive a postage paid envelope with your ballot.
10) QUESTION: Will a voter be able to vote early for the 2020
Presidential Primary Election?
ANSWER: No. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary way to vote will
be by mail with limited, in-person voting on June 2, 2020. The usual eight days
of Early Voting will not be conducted for the 2020 Presidential Primary Election.
11) QUESTION: Can a voter go to their usual polling place on
June 2, 2020, Election Day?
ANSWER: No. Due to COVID-19, regular polling places will not be open
during the June 2, 2020 Presidential Primary Election. It was determined that
voting in the traditional manner would "enable the transmission of the novel
coronavirus, and pose risks to public health, welfare and safety."
12) QUESTION: Do voters need to request an absentee ballot?
ANSWER: No. The State Board of Elections will mail all voters a ballot to
the address listed in the voter registration record.
13) QUESTION: A voter already requested an absentee ballot by
completing an absentee ballot application. Will the voter get two ballots?
ANSWER: No. Voters will only receive one ballot.
14) QUESTION: Can a voter request that a ballot be delivered to them
online?
ANSWER: If voters prefer to receive a ballot to print offline or a ballot mailed to a different address than where you are registered to vote, they should complete an absentee ballot application at: https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration/InstructionsStep1
Voters will be required to print the ballot and after following the instructions
given, mail it back to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections Office.
The voter will have to pay for postage.
15) QUESTION: What kind of identification is required to cast a ballot
by mail?
ANSWER: If you are a registered voter and voted before, no identification is required to receive or submit a ballot by mail. A very small number of newly registered voters may need to provide ID with their voted ballots. If you have to provide ID, there will be instructions with your ballot.
16) QUESTION: What type of pen should a voter use to fill out the
ballot?
ANSWER: A black ballpoint pen is recommended.
17) QUESTION: How should voters return their voted ballots?
ANSWER: All ballots packages will have instructions on how to ensure your voted ballot is returned to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections office. A postage paid return envelope will be enclosed. The sealed envelope can be placed in the mailbox at any time OR it can be dropped off in one of our five drop boxes beginning on May 21, 2020. All returned ballots must have a postmark of June 2, 2020 or earlier.
Voters are urged to return their ballots as soon as possible. Those who wait until the deadline to return their ballot are encouraged to use a Board of Elections drop box. Ballots in the drop box will not require a postmark. However, it must be received by 8pm, June 2, 2020. All drop boxes will be locked after 8:00 pm.
18) QUESTION: Where will the ballot drop boxes be located?
ANSWER: Beginning on May 21, 2020 through 8pm on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 drop boxes will be available at the following sites:
- • College Park Community Center, 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park, MD 20740
- • Bowie Gymnasium, 4100 Northview Drive, Bowie, MD 20716
- • Kentland Community Center, 2413 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover, MD 20785
- • Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex, 7007 Bock Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744
- • Prince George’s County Board of Elections, 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo, MD 20774
19) QUESTION: How can voters find out whether the Prince George’s
County Board of Elections received their ballots?
ANSWER: Information on status of your ballot is available by user the voter lookup tool found on the Maryland State Board of Elections website https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
Voters can also call or email the local Board of Election Office.
20) QUESTION: What is the difference between an absentee ballot and a
mail-in ballot?
ANSWER: There is no difference. For the June 2, 2020 election, the State Board of Elections mailed a ballot to every eligible voter, whether it was requested or not.
21) QUESTION: Is same day registration available on Election Day,
June 2, 2020?
ANSWER: Yes. However, the voter registration deadline has been postponed to Wednesday, May 27, so people who aren’t already registered should get registered to avoid lines and wait times on Election Day.
22) QUESTION: Will electioneers be able to campaign at the ballot drop
off sites and vote centers?
ANSWER: Yes, they must follow the 100’ guideline.
23) QUESTION: Will Challengers and Watchers be allowed in the vote
centers?
ANSWER: Yes. However, they must abide by the social distancing guidelines.
24) QUESTION: When will ballots be unsealed from their envelopes and
tabulated?
ANSWER: The process will begin on May 21. It will be live streamed on social media and on the Prince George’s County Board of Elections’ website at elections@mypgc.us
Results will NOT be posted until June 2, 2020 at 8pm after the in person voting
locations have closed. The tabulation process could continue through at least
June 12, 2020.
25) QUESTION: How will the Prince George’s County Board of
Elections ensure that a voter who has already returned a ballot won’t also vote in person?
ANSWER: The electronic pollbooks will have recorded who has returned their
ballot up to that day. If a voter’s ballot is received on June 2 or after June 2, the
by mail ballot will not be counted if the voter cast a ballot on Election Day.
26) QUESTION: What is the Prince George’s County Board of Elections
doing to protect against fraud?
ANSWER: The Prince George’s County Board of Elections will take the same
precautions to protect against fraud that we do for every election. We have
extensive auditing procedures to verify that each voter votes one, and only one,
ballot. Any allegation or evidence of fraud will be investigated and referred for
prosecution.
If you see or hear of any attempted voter fraud, please contact the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at 301-341-7300.
27) QUESTION: What is the Board of Elections doing to protect against
hacking?
ANSWER: The IT Departments at both the County and State level are continuously monitoring servers, etc. to securing the statewide voter registration system. The election will not be certified for several weeks after Election Day whereas audits are conducted and complaints are investigated.
28) QUESTION: How will voters know that their ballots will be
counted?
ANSWER: Voters can check that your ballot was counted by visiting https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
If you do not have internet access, call 301-341-7300 or 1-800-222-8683 and
ask a representative to check the status of your voted ballot.
29) QUESTION: Why is the oath for the voter to sign on the outside of
the voter’s envelope?
ANSWER: The envelope was designed to allow voters to sign on the outer
envelope. If a voter doesn’t want to sign the oath on the outside of the return
envelope, he/she has two options. The voter can make a copy of the oath on the
return envelope. Sign and date the copy of the oath and put the copy into the
return envelope with your ballot documents. Then, write a note on the outside of
the return envelope stating that the signed oath is inside the envelope. This is
very important because without the note, the ballot will be rejected. We don’t
open an envelope if there’s no mark on the signature line.
Another option is to sign and date the oath on the return envelope. Then, put the
signed return label containing the ballot documents into a larger envelope. Label
the larger envelope with the same information that’s on the front of the return
envelope. This would be the address of the voter’s local election office and the
voter ID number. Make sure to write ‘Absentee Ballot’ on the larger envelope as
well. If you choose this option, you will have to pay for postage.
30) QUESTION: The voter received a ballot at their residence for
someone who does not live there. What should they do?
ANSWER: Place the ballot back in the postage paid envelope, write "Return to
Sender – Person does not reside here" and mail it. Voters are responsible for
making sure their addresses are updated.