Mail-in voting process in Maryland has already begun. What you should know.

Maryland’s presidential primary election is next month, and local election directors are already at work with over 500,000 mail-in ballots sent out to voters across the state. As of April 16, over 62,000 Maryland voters had already returned their ballot. Here are some things you should know.

“Anyone (registered to vote) can vote a mail-in ballot,” said Worcester County Election Director Patti Jackson, an election official of 39 years. “It’s safe and secure and (your) ballot is counted,” she said in an April 17 phone interview.

But not everyone automatically gets a mail-in ballot, said Frederick County Election Director Barbara Wagner. “You have to apply, fill out an application, and request a mail-in ballot,” she said in an April 17 phone interview.

Wagner said requests for a ballot to be mailed must be received by May 7 for the primary, which in Maryland is scheduled for an Election Day of May 14. Mail-in ballot requests can be made online at the State Board of Elections website or at your local board of elections.

In Frederick County, Wagner said there are about 25,000 permanent mail-in ballot recipients, who have selected to be added to a list to vote that mail-in method and automatically receive a mail-in ballot each election. That 25,000 or so is out of a total of about 200,000 registered voters in the county. In neighboring Washington County, 10,166 voters are on the permanent mail-in ballot list, said Barry Jackson, the election director in the county of over 100,000 registered voters, in an email.

In Wicomico County, over 5,000 voters are on the permanent mail-in ballot list, said Dionne Church, the election director in the Eastern Shore county of over 66,000 registered voters, during an April 18 phone interview.

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What to do when you get your mail-in ballot?

The purpose of a mail-in ballot is the same as early voting or voting on Election Day: to vote.

After you make your selections, the process is simple.

“All you have to do is make sure that you follow the instructions that we put in your ballot packet,” Wagner said.

Both Wagner and Worcester County’s Jackson say the “most important thing” is to sign the oath included in the ballot packet.

After voting, Wagner said to fold the ballot and put it in its return envelope.

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What to do to make sure your mail-in ballot gets counted?

An important step to make sure mail-in ballot gets counted is in the name: “mail in” the ballot.

A ballot can be sent in by the United States Postal Service, by placing it in one of the State of Maryland Official Ballot drop boxes or by returning it in person to your local board of elections. Any of the methods of return must be done by 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 14.

Wagner said if a cellphone number or email is provided, the ballot can be tracked at each step.  Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis emphasized this monitoring system in a release last month.

“The tracking information on returned ballots will ensure confidence in the security of election administration for mail-in voting,” he said. “As soon as a ballot is placed in the USPS system, we can track its delivery to the local board for canvassing. Once received at the local board, the voter will be notified of its receipt.”

“Finally,” Frederick County’s Wagner said, “it will say your ballot has been counted.”

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How can I confirm that the mail-in ballot process works?

You can see it for yourself.

“It’s open to the public,” said Worcester County’s Jackson. “Our first canvass of the ballots that we’ve had returned so far is next week on Wednesday, the 24th.”

“It’s at the Snow Hill library at 10 o’clock,” she said. “We canvass the majority of the ballots two days after Election Day and then we finalize the count on May 24. That’s when we certify the election.”

Local boards of elections across the state have scheduled public canvasses where people can see the process, both before and after Election Day.

The 2024 Maryland presidential primary is scheduled to be certified on May 24. Not until certification, which is scheduled for 10 days after Election Day, are results considered official.

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland's mail-in ballot process is already underway. What to know.