1. A. Procedures. The State Administrator shall develop and issue written procedures for:

   1. (1) Assembling memory devices and ballots returned from voting locations;
   2. (2) Tabulating voted ballots that could not be tabulated by the precinct tabulator;
   3. (3) Tabulating and reporting write-in votes;
   4. (4) Manually entering results into the election management system;
   5. (5) Reviewing, inspecting, and tabulating early voting and election day ballots;
   6. (6) Reviewing, inspecting, and tabulating absentee and provisional ballots;
   7. (7) Producing countywide results and other data, including totals from early voting, polling place voting, and absentee and provisional voting;
   8. (8) Securing the premises where vote tabulation and aggregation are being conducted; and
   9. (9) Defining who may be admitted to the premises while vote tabulation and aggregation is taking place.

2. B. Tabulating Write-In Votes (General Election.)

   1. (1) In a general election, the results report produced by the precinct tabulator shall include the number of write-in votes cast in each contest.
   2. (2) The ballot images shall contain the names of the individuals for whom voters cast write-in votes and shall copy write-in candidates into the election management system.
   3. (3) After all memory devices from the precinct tabulators have been loaded, the election management system shall produce vote cast records and ballot images that include all write-in votes.
   4. (4) From the vote cast record and ballot images, the local board shall tally and record the write-in votes cast.
   5. (5) Write-in votes shall be reported as part of the official returns in accordance with State Administrator instructions.

Authority: Election Law Article, §§2-102(b)(4), 2-202(b), 9-102, 9-105, and 11-201, and Title 9, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date:

Regulations .01—.07 and Regulations .09—.29 adopted effective April 11, 2016 (43:7 Md. R. 452)

Regulation .17F amended effective February 10, 2020 (47:3 Md. R. 173)

Regulation .18 amended effective July 10, 2023 (50:13 Md. R. 514)

Regulation .30 adopted effective September 29, 2025 (52:19 Md. R. 957)