Md. Code Regs. 33.05.04.02

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 22, November 1, 2024

Section 33.05.04.02 - Receipt of Completed VRAs

A. In this regulation, "registration deadline" means the time prescribed by law when registration closes for a particular election.

B. Date Stamp. When a completed VRA is received by the State Board office or a local board office, the board staff shall stamp the VRA with the date received.

C. When VRA Is Timely.

(1) A VRA received by a voter registration agency or the MVA is timely for purposes of the next election if it is received by the voter registration agency or MVA on or before the registration deadline.

(2) Any other VRA is timely for purposes of the next election if:

(a) It is received by the State Board office, [or] local board office, or authorized ballot drop box on or before the registration deadline; or

(b) The State Administrator or election director, as the case may be, finds acceptable evidence, as specified in §D of this regulation, that the VRA was mailed to the board office:

(i) On or before the registration deadline; or

(ii) If the registration deadline is a legal holiday as set forth in 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a), on or before the day after the registration deadline.

D. Evidence of Mailing Date.

(1) For purposes of §C(2) of this regulation, the only acceptable evidence of when a VRA was mailed is:

(a) A legible postmark by the United States Postal Service or the postal service of any other country;

(b) Evidence from a private mail service showing when the VRA was mailed; or

(c) The date the applicant signed the VRA if:

(i) The VRA was mailed from outside the United States (as defined in §D(2) of this regulation); and

(ii) The postal service of the place from which the VRA was mailed does not provide a postmark.

(2) For purposes of §D(1)(c) of this regulation, "United States":

(a) Means the several states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and

(b) Does not include American Samoa, the Canal Zone, Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, any other territory or possession of the United States, an Army Post Office address, or a Fleet Post Office address.

E. Untimely VRAs. A VRA that is not timely received as provided in §C of this regulation will be accepted, but the registration will not be processed until registration reopens.

Md. Code Regs. 33.05.04.02

Regulations .02 adopted as an emergency provision effective February 1, 2000 (27:6 Md. R. 635); adopted permanently effective April 17, 2000 (27:7 Md. R. 708)
Regulation .02 amended as an emergency provision effective July 3, 2002 (29:18 Md. R. 1440); amended permanently effective October 14, 2002 (29:20 Md. R. 1595)
Regulation .02C amended effective November 24, 2003 (30:23 Md. R. 1654); May 31, 2010 (37:11 Md. R. 767); recodified from .01 effective 43:4 Md. R. 334, eff.2/29/2016; amended effective 49:1 Md. R.16, eff. 1/13/2022