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:
Howard County has 10 drop box locations:
Maryland voters will consider several top-level statewide leadership offices that include:
Attorney General
Comptroller
Attorney General
Comptroller
To see who is running for lieutenant governor, attorney general, Congressional seats, Senatorial seats, House of Delegates, and judges, click here.
At the county level, voters will decide races that include:
Here are some of the candidates running for office at the county level.
Howard County Executive
Howard County Council, District 1
Howard County Council, District 2
Howard County Council, District 3
Howard County Council, District 4
Howard County Council, District 5
Judge of the Circuit Court, Circuit 5
Howard County State's Attorney
Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Howard County Register of Wills
Howard County Sheriff
Howard County Board of Education
*Indicates incumbent
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.
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