Vote-by-Mail Elections Under Consideration In Rockville

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Rockville community is invited to a public hearing Feb. 5 to discuss the possibility of allowing residents to vote by mail during Mayor and Council elections in an effort to get more people to vote.

The Mayor and Council discussed the proposal during their Jan. 22 meeting, following a Nov. 6 presentation by the city's Board of Supervisors of Elections.

When voting by mail, registered voters:

• Receive a 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.

The board recommended establishing an Election Day center where voters could vote in person, drop off ballots and interact with election officials.

"Please come tell us your thoughts at the public hearing on Feb. 5," Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said. "We really do want to hear from everybody."

Anyone wishing to testify at the hearing should call 240-314-8280 before 4 p.m. Feb. 5 to have their names placed on the speakers' list. The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 at City Hall.

Find a report on the board's Nov. 6 presentation, including information about other local governments that allow voting by mail here and video of the Nov. 6 presentation and Jan. 22 discussion here.

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