Rockville Is First City In Maryland To Approve Voting By Mail

ROCKVILLE, MD — In an effort to increase voter participation in city elections, Rockville is the first city in Maryland to allow residents to vote by mail.

The new policy was unanimously approved by the City Council and Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton Monday night.

City Officials said about 16 percent of Rockville's 40,000 registered voters participated in the 2011, 2013 and 2015 city elections.

The next election is November 2019, marking the first time residents can vote by mail. Voters will determine all five council members and the mayor.

The Washington Post reports Lois Neuman, the chair of the Rockville city Board of Supervisors of Elections, said no other city in Maryland allows voitng by mail.

“We are still asking the voter to come to the polling place,” Neuman said of early voting. “They need to drive; they need to take time off; they need to bring their children. They still need to come. What about taking the vote to the voter?”

See Related: Vote-by-Mail Elections Under Consideration In Rockville

When voting by mail, registered voters:

• Receive an official ballot by mail;
• Mark the ballot, place it into a mailing envelope, sign an affidavit on the exterior of the envelope, which has a trackable bar code;
• Return the package by mail, at a drop box or in person.

Voters will still have the option to vote in person on Election Day at Rockville City Hall.

City officials note that 22 other states allow voting my mail, such as California and Colorado.

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