Participating in the November 5 City Council election – whether to run for office, sign a candidate’s petition or vote – requires being registered with Prince George’s County at a residence address within the boundaries of the City of Greenbelt. For those not registered, Monday, October 7 is the deadline for registering in time to vote in the election. This deadline also applies to making changes to one’s name or address. Registrations must be received by the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, in Largo, no later than their closing time at 4:30 p.m.
Verify Registration
Anyone who wishes to verify that they are properly registered can either call the County Board of Elections at 301-341-7300 or look up their registration on the website of the Maryland State Board of Elections at elections.maryland.gov. From the home page, click on Voter Services under Hot Topics. While this information will confirm the details of the registration, voters should be aware that the polling place listed for them on this site will be the one used for county, state and federal elections. It may not be the same as the site used for city elections.
Eligibility to Register
Besides being a city resident at the time of registration, an individual wishing to register to vote with Prince George’s County must be a U.S. citizen and be at least 16 years old. Last year, Greenbelt revised the city charter to permit otherwise qualified residents ages 16 and 17 to vote in city elections. Unfortunately, this year’s October 7 deadline means that would-be voters who will turn 16 from October 8 through November 5 will not be able to vote, despite the council legislation. The city’s Board of Elections has indicated its willingness to look into solutions to this conflict for future elections. For example, the city could choose to register a 15-year-old who will turn 16 by election day. Individuals found by court to be incapable of voting for mental disability are not eligible to register. No one is allowed to register who has been convicted of buying or selling votes. Persons who have been convicted of other felonies may register to vote if they have completed their court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any required term of parole or probation.
Student Registration
Otherwise qualified students who are attending colleges in Maryland may register to vote if they consider their local address to be their legal address or domicile. Usually that means it is the address that appears on tax returns or other government documents, driver’s license, bank accounts, charge accounts and so forth. For more information about student registration, visit elections.maryland.gov and click on How Do I Register to Vote? and then Students Enrolled in ….
Registering – Just Do It
There are now so many ways to register to vote in Maryland that it is easier to just do it than to come up with an excuse not to. Registration may be done online, by mail or in person. For anyone holding a Maryland Driver’s license or a substitute Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) issued ID card, an easy way to register is on the state Board of Elections website using Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System (OLVR). It requires submission of a name, date of birth and the last four digits of a social security number that match information already on file with the MVA. The signature on file at the MVA will then become the official voter registration signature. Anyone who has neither a valid Maryland driver’s license nor a substitute MVA-issued ID card must complete a paper voter registration form and either mail it to the County Board of Elections or submit it in person at the office of the county board at 1100 Mercantile Lane, #115a, Largo, by the deadline. This form cannot be faxed or emailed because it requires an original signature. Voter registration forms may be downloaded and printed from the State Board of Elections site. Paper forms for mailing are also available at the city clerk’s office in the Municipal Building at 25 Crescent Road and at the Greenbelt Library at 11 Crescent Road. If picking up a form is not possible, call the County Board of Elections office at 301-430-8020 and ask to receive one by mail.
Registration Changes
Registered Maryland voters are no longer required to reregister if they move to a new address within the state, even if they are crossing county lines. However, they must update their information. Address or name updates can be made using the same methods listed above for registering: online using the OLVR system at the State Board of Elections site if one has a Maryland Driver’s license or MVA identification card; or using a voter registration form to be mailed to the County Board of Elections or submitted in person in Largo by the October 7 deadline.
Party Affiliation
Greenbelt’s city council elections are nonpartisan, which means there are no primary elections and no candidate party designations or slates. In registering to vote, however, a resident has the option of registering with any of the state’s recognized political parties for the purposes of voting in partisan primaries in presidential, state and county elections. Maryland’s Democratic and Republican primaries for the 2020 presidential election will be held on April 28, 2020.
The political parties currently recognized in Maryland are the Democratic, Republican, and Bread and Roses (breadandroses.us) parties. Choosing no political party results in an unaffiliated registration, which means the voter will be able to vote in general elections but usually not in primary elections other than local, nonpartisan primaries: for example, to select nominees for school board elections.
For questions on voter registration for the city election, contact the Greenbelt city clerk’s office at 301-474-8000 or the County Board of Elections at 301-341-7300. Additional information on the city election can be found on the city website at greenbeltmd.gov.