Maryland election officials are scrambling after a ballot mix-up sent some voters mail-in ballots for the wrong political party, prompting the state to resend ballots to a huge slice of the electorate just weeks before the June 23 primary.
The Maryland State Board of Elections said Friday it will reissue mail-in ballots after a vendor error mismatched some voters with the wrong ballot style. Because officials cannot determine exactly which voters were affected, replacement packets will be mailed to everyone who was sent a ballot before May 14. That means hundreds of thousands of Marylanders are expected to see corrected ballots in their mailboxes ahead of the primary.
As reported by WBAL-TV, the State Board said the problem originated with its vendor and that voters who were impacted will be notified directly. The reissue covers ballots transmitted before May 14 so that no one who got the wrong packet is shut out of voting.
What officials say
According to the State Board, the vendor made an error in matching ballot styles to voters. Because officials cannot reliably identify every affected household, they are taking the broad approach of reissuing corrected ballots to everyone who was mailed a ballot before May 14.
In a news release quoted by WBAL-TV, state elections administrator Jared DeMarinis wrote, "Please be assured that we are actively answering phones and responding to emails and will remain transparent as we navigate through this situation." In other words, expect the phone lines to be busy, but officials are trying to keep voters in the loop as they untangle the error.
How to check your ballot
Primary Election Day in Maryland is June 23. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or placed in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that day.
Voters can use the state's online tools to track the status of a requested ballot, confirm when it was mailed, or download a sample ballot to compare with what arrived at home. For deadlines and step-by-step instructions, visit the Maryland State Board of Elections.
What to do if you got the wrong ballot
Officials say local boards of elections will reach out directly to voters they know were impacted. Still, if you received a ballot that looks wrong, do not ignore it.
Voters who believe they got an incorrect ballot are urged to contact their county board of elections or the State Board to confirm and request a replacement. If you already mailed back a ballot you suspect was incorrect, call your local board immediately so officials can review your situation.
Voters who decide to vote in person can typically cancel a mail-in ballot request with election officials and then vote during early voting or on Election Day. Several Marylanders posting about the mix-up say their county boards have already begun calling residents and promising replacements, including one firsthand account shared on Reddit.
Background
Mail-in voting plays a major role in Maryland elections. The State Board reported that Maryland State Board of Elections data showed 565,639 voters had requested mail-in ballots for the 2026 primary, which illustrates the scale of the reissue effort now underway.
Vendor mistakes are not unique to Maryland. In Montgomery County, Pa., officials reissued roughly 16,000 defective ballots after a printing error, according to WHYY. Episodes like these are a pointed reminder that supplier slips can complicate mail-based elections, even when officials move quickly to make things right.
