Election Day 2026: Executive, Council Races, More On Howard County Ballot

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Voters head to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 3, to select candidates for local seats in Howard County and for state and federal offices in Maryland.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. that day will be allowed to vote.

Residents who are not registered to vote can do so on Election Day. They must bring proof of residence, which could be:

• your MVA-issued license, permit, ID card
• change of address card
• your paycheck
• bank statement
• utility bill
• other government document with your name and new address

Ballot Drop Boxes

Howard County has 10 drop box locations:

• Bain 50+ Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia
• Elkridge 50+ Center, 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge
• Gary J. Arthur Community Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville
• George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City
• Howard County Board of Elections, 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 200, Columbia
• Howard County Scaggsville Police Department, 11226 Scaggsville Road, Laurel
• Meadowbrook Athletic Complex, 5001 Meadowbrook Lane, Ellicott City
• North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel
• St. John Baptist Church, 9055 Tamar Drive, Columbia
• West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department, 12535 Old Frederick Road, Sykesville

Statewide Races

Maryland voters will consider several top-level statewide leadership offices that include:

Governor

• Wes Moore (D-incumbent)
• Dan Cox (R)
• Andy Ellis (Green)
• Cathy White (Working Class Party)

Attorney General

• Anthony Brown (D-incumbent)
• James B. Rutledge III (R)

Comptroller

• Brooke Lierman (D-incumbent)
• Sonya Dunn (R)

• Wes Moore (D-incumbent)
• Dan Cox (R)
• Andy Ellis (Green)
• Cathy White (Working Class Party)

Attorney General

• Anthony Brown (D-incumbent)
• James B. Rutledge III (R)

Comptroller

• Brooke Lierman (D-incumbent)
• Sonya Dunn (R)

To see who is running for lieutenant governor, attorney general, Congressional seats, Senatorial seats, House of Delegates, and judges, click here.

County Races

At the county level, voters will decide races that include:

• County executive
• County Council or Commissioners members
• State's attorney
• Clerk of the Circuit Court
• Register of wills
• Judges of the Circuit and Orphans' courts
• Sheriff
• Members of the Democratic or Republican central committees

Here are some of the candidates running for office at the county level.

Howard County Executive

• Vanessa Atterbeary
• Nater Kane

Howard County Council, District 1

• Kevin Chin

Howard County Council, District 2

• Jessica I. Nichols

Howard County Council, District 3

• Christiana Rigby*

Howard County Council, District 4

• Janssen Evelyn

Howard County Council, District 5

• Cat Carter
• Ryan P. O'Connor

Judge of the Circuit Court, Circuit 5

• Maurice C. Frazier*

Howard County State's Attorney

• Rich Gibson*

Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court

• Jen Terrasa

Howard County Register of Wills

• Byron E. Macfarlane*

Howard County Sheriff

• Marcus Harris*

Howard County Board of Education

• Mark E. Covington
• Linda Frascarella
• Lanlan Xu

*Indicates incumbent

Additional Measures On The Ballot

Howard County voters will find two questions on their ballots this fall. Below are the charter amendments voters will consider.

Question A

Charter Amendment - Gender Neutrality

The County Charter uses gender-specific words like "he" and "she." The charter amendment would replace these words with gender-neutral terms like "they" and "them."

A vote for the amendment would make gender-neutral changes to the charter. A vote against the amendment would leave gender-specific words unchanged in the charter.

Question B

Charter Amendment - Affordable For-Sale Housing Projects

The County Charter only allows the county to use its capital budget to finance an affordable housing project in its Housing Opportunities Trust Fund if the county owns the project. The charter amendment would change this requirement by allowing the county to use its capital budget to finance some or all of an affordable housing project if the project meets certain criteria. The county is not required to own or construct the project, but the Howard County Housing Commission, or another entity it controls, must own it. The project must only have housing units for sale. The county would repay the project bonds over a defined period, typically 20-30 years, and the affordable for-sale units must remain affordable for that period.

A vote for the charter amendment would allow the county to finance these affordable for-sale housing projects through its capital budget. A vote against the charter amendment would require these affordable for-sale housing projects to be financed in ways other than the county's capital budget.

For full coverage of the 2026 election in Maryland, go here.