As we have stated in two previous press releases, on May 15 and May 18, 2026, the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) is working to address a printing error by our mail-in ballot vendor for the Maryland Gubernatorial Primary Election.
What's Happening Now
Production of replacement ballots begins tomorrow, May 21, with SBE's Mail-In Voting Director on-site at the vendor's facility to oversee printing. All replacement ballots will be mailed no later than May 29. Every voter who requested a mail-in ballot will receive a replacement and only one ballot will be counted per voter.
Replacement Ballot Production includes:
- Testing and quality control of replacement ballot packets is complete.
- Printing begins May 21, 2026.
- All replacement ballots will be mailed no later than May 29, 2026.
- SBE's Mail-In Voting Director will be on-site at the vendor's facility throughout production to oversee the process.
Voter Notifications to Date:
Because the vendor could not isolate which voters received incorrect ballots, SBE is notifying every voter who requested a mail-in ballot.
- Postcards have been mailed to every potentially affected voter.
- On May 18, approximately 400,000 emails were sent to voters informing them that a replacement ballot is on the way.
- On May 19, nearly 103,000 text messages were sent.
What Voters Need to Do:
- Watch the mail for a replacement ballot. The envelope will be clearly marked "REPLACEMENT BALLOT INSIDE."
- Vote the replacement ballot — even if you already returned your first ballot. Destroy the original.
- Return the replacement ballot in the envelope marked "Replacement Envelope" by 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 23, 2026 — by mail, drop box, or at any polling place or local board of elections.
- The primary question that we have received from voters is “what do I do if I already returned my mail-in ballot.” The answer is simply to vote the replacement ballot.
- Visit vote.md.gov/2026replacementmib for full instructions, FAQs, and sample materials.
Only One Ballot Will Be Counted Per Voter
Issuing a replacement mail-in ballot is not a new situation. It occurs in every Maryland election. The safeguards that ensure only one ballot per voter is counted are long-standing protocols, not new procedures.
- SBE has existing safeguards in place to make sure that only one ballot is counted for each voter
- Every mail-in ballot issued is tracked in Maryland's secure statewide voter registration system with a unique code / identifier.
- The record of the receipt of mail-in ballots is publicly available. Transparency ensures the integrity of the mail-in voting.
- If a voter requested a mail-in ballot and has a replacement ballot issued, the original mail-in ballot tracking information is noted in the statewide voter registration system so it cannot be received for canvassing. This ensures each voter can only return one ballot.
What Happens if the Original Ballot is Mailed:
- All original mail-in ballots are quarantined until the last day of Mail-in Ballot canvass. At the end of every canvass, the ballots are reviewed by the LBE to ensure that the replacement ballot was received. If no replacement ballot is received, under Maryland law, then the original ballot must be canvassed if it was the correct ballot. Prior to the canvass (counting of the ballot), the original ballot and supporting evidence that no other legal sufficient ballot was received is presented to the bipartisan canvassing board for acceptance. This is a manual process that is under public observation.
- Due to the volume of the issuance of replacement mail-in ballots, SBE has implemented additional security procedures to differentiate replacement ballots from the first ballots mailed to voters for canvassing.
Please stay tuned for more information. We will continue to keep you informed as we work quickly to address the situation and prepare for the upcoming election.