Mail-In Ballot Canvass Starts October 13 in Montgomery County

Montgomery County election officials begin reviewing mail-in ballots for the November 3 general election at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, and any member of the public may watch them do it.

The pre-election canvass runs at the Montgomery County Board of Elections Training and Canvass Center at 18753 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 203, in Gaithersburg. The Board of Elections announced the schedule on Wednesday.

What a Canvass Actually Is

A canvass is the review of the envelopes that mail-in ballots arrive in, which has to happen before any of those ballots can be counted. Bipartisan teams of election workers examine the returned envelopes and present them to the bipartisan Board of Canvassers.

Every returned envelope has to clear that review individually, so the Board of Elections begins the work weeks before Election Day rather than starting it on November 3. The county canvass continues after Election Day until the count is finished.

How to Watch

The canvass is a public process and can be observed two ways:

• In person at the Training and Canvass Center, 18753 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 203, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.
• Online, through the livestream link posted at 777vote.org.

The Board of Elections asks that observers, in person and online, sign in with their full names. Canvass sessions continue past Election Day until the count is complete.

The Schedule Can Move

Canvass dates depend on how many mail-in ballots come back, so the Board of Elections warns that the schedule is subject to change. Voters who plan to observe a specific session should check 777vote.org for the current schedule before going.

Deadlines That Still Matter for Voters

Montgomery County voters who want to vote by mail are working against these Board of Elections deadlines:

• Request a mailed or faxed mail-in ballot by Tuesday, October 27 — 8 p.m. if requesting by mail, 11:59 p.m. online, by email or by fax.
• Request an electronic mail-in ballot by Friday, October 30 — 5 p.m. by mail, 11:59 p.m. online, by email or by fax.
• Request a mail-in ballot in person at the local board by 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 3.
• Mail a completed ballot back so it is postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 3.
• Drop a completed ballot in any county election drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 3.

The Board of Elections takes election questions at 240-777-8500. Statewide information is at elections.maryland.gov.

The full notice from the Board of Elections follows.

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Notice: Montgomery County Board of Elections

NOTICE OF PRE-ELECTION MAIL-IN BALLOT CANVASS

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The pre-election canvass of Mail-In ballots for the 2026 Gubernatorial General Election starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Montgomery County Board of Elections Training and Canvass Center, 18753 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 203, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.

The canvass schedule may be accessed through the Montgomery County Board of Elections website at www.777vote.org. Please note that canvass dates are subject to change as the canvass schedule is contingent upon the volume of returned Mail-In ballots.

Election officials must review the returned envelopes containing voted Mail-In ballots before ballots may be counted. Mail-In ballots are reviewed in a public process, referred to as “canvass”, by bipartisan teams of election workers and presented to the bipartisan Board of Canvassers. The canvassing process may be observed either in person or virtually via the livestream link provided at www.777vote.org.

For more election information, call 240-777-8500, visit www.777vote.org or http://elections.maryland.gov, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Your Voice, Your Vote!

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