1. A. In General. Except as otherwise provided by the State Board, the effective date of registration or of a requested change that is timely received is the date the VRA or other appropriate form or notice was received by the State Board office or a local board office.

2. B. When Timely.

   1. (1) In applying the provisions of law that prohibit registration or changes of name, address, or party affiliation during certain periods, the VRA or other appropriate form or notice is considered to have been timely received, and processing shall be completed during the otherwise closed period, if the application, notice, or form:

      1. (a) Is complete, as required by law or this title; and
      2. (b) Was received by or mailed to the local board office on or before the appropriate deadline, in the same manner and under the same conditions as provided in Regulation .01C and D of this chapter for VRAs.
   2. (2) For purposes of applying Regulation .01C and D of this chapter to a change of party affiliation, “registration deadline” includes the deadline prescribed by law after which changes of party affiliation no longer may be made for a particular election.

3. C. Processing.

   1. (1) If a verification inquiry is not needed and if the VRA or other appropriate form or notice was timely received, the election director shall:

      1. (a) Promptly complete the processing; and
      2. (b) Notify the applicant before the next election.
   2. (2) If a verification inquiry reveals that the information given was complete and accurate and if the VRA or other appropriate form or notice was timely received, the registration or change shall be promptly completed, effective as of the date the VRA, form, or notice was received.
   3. (3) Except as specified in §C(5) of this regulation, if a verification inquiry reveals that the information given was either incomplete or inaccurate, processing may not be completed and the applicant need not be notified of any action until after the expiration of the period during which registration or changes are prohibited.

   4. (4) Except as specified in §C(5) of this regulation, in the case set forth in §C(3) of this regulation, and in cases when a verification inquiry is not completed until after the expiration of the period during which registration or changes are prohibited, the:

      1. (a) Registration or change requested shall be processed beginning with the first day after the expiration of that period; and
      2. (b) Effective date of the registration or the change is the first day after the expiration of that period rather than the date of receipt of the VRA, form, or notice.

   5. (5) Verification Inquiry.

      1. (a) A verification inquiry of a personal identification number or personal identification information may be completed during the period during which registration or changes are prohibited.
      2. (b) The registration shall be processed upon completion of a verification inquiry.
      3. (c) The effective date of registration is the date the VRA was received.
      4. (d) Presentation of personal identification information to an election official or election judge shall complete the verification inquiry.
4. D. Deadline for Change of Party Affiliation if Voter Moves to Another County. After the party change deadline set by Election Law Article, §3-303(a), Annotated Code of Maryland, a registered voter who has moved from one Maryland county to another since the last general election may change party affiliation, or change to or from the “unaffiliated” status, by submitting a signed request to the local board where the voter currently resides at any time that registration is open. A voter may take advantage of this provision only once following a move.

Authority: Election Law Article, §§2-102(b)(4), 2-202(b), 3-101, 3-202.1, 3-204.1, and 3-301—3-305, Annotated Code of Maryland; 42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(2)

Effective date:

Regulations .01—.05 adopted as an emergency provision effective February 1, 2000 (27:6 Md. R. 635); adopted permanently effective April 17, 2000 (27:7 Md. R. 708)

Regulation .01 amended effective May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767)

Regulation .01B, C amended as an emergency provision effective July 3, 2002 (29:18 Md. R. 1440); amended permanently effective October 14, 2002 (29:20 Md. R. 1595)

Regulation .01B amended effective November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1654)

Regulation .02 amended as an emergency provision effective July 3, 2002 (29:18 Md. R. 1440); amended permanently effective October 14, 2002 (29:20 Md. R. 1595)

Regulation .02C amended effective November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1654); May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767)

Regulation .03 amended as an emergency provision effective July 3, 2002 (29:18 Md. R. 1440); amended permanently effective October 14, 2002 (29:20 Md. R. 1595)

Regulation .03 amended effective May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767)

Regulation .03A, C amended effective November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1654)

Regulation .03A, C amended as an emergency provision effective January 1, 2006 (33:1 Md. R. 34); amended permanently effective April 24, 2006 (33:8 Md. R. 735)

Regulation .03B amended effective September 16, 2013 (40:18 Md. R. 1480)

Regulation .04 amended as an emergency provision effective January 1, 2006 (33:1 Md. R. 34); amended permanently effective April 24, 2006 (33:8 Md. R. 735)

Regulation .04C amended effective May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767)

Regulation .05 amended as an emergency provision effective July 3, 2002 (29:18 Md. R. 1440); amended permanently effective October 14, 2002 (29:20 Md. R. 1595)

Regulation .05B amended effective May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767)

Regulation .05C amended as an emergency provision effective June 2, 2006 (33:13 Md. R. 1062); amended permanently effective August 14, 2006 (33:16 Md. R. 1366)

Regulation .06 adopted effective November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1654)

Chapter revised effective February 29, 2016 (43:4 Md. R. 334)

Regulation .02C amended effective January 13, 2022 (49:1 Md. R. 16)

Regulation .04B amended effective March 7, 2022 (49:5 Md. R. 368)