In Maryland, people with felony convictions can vote as soon as they are released from prison. Voting rights are restored automatically, so someone on probation or parole is eligible to register and cast a ballot. The only permanent bar is a conviction for buying or selling votes, which disqualifies a person for life unless they receive a pardon.
When Voting Rights Come Back
Under Md. Code, Election Law ยง 3-102, a felony conviction takes away the right to vote only while the person is serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment. The moment that person leaves the correctional facility, whether on parole, mandatory supervision, or after finishing the full sentence, the right to vote is restored. No application, waiting period, or court order is needed for the restoration itself, though the person will need to re-register if their registration was canceled.1Maryland State Board of Elections. Voter Registration
Several groups never lose their voting rights in the first place. Someone sentenced to probation without any incarceration keeps the right to vote throughout.2Brennan Center for Justice. Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Maryland A person arrested and awaiting trial on a felony charge is still eligible; the loss of rights turns on the conviction, not the arrest.3Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Restoration of Voting Rights Misdemeanor convictions do not affect voting rights at all, even during a jail sentence.
The rules apply the same way regardless of where the conviction happened. The Maryland State Board of Elections states that “convictions include federal, state and out-of-state convictions” for eligibility purposes.1Maryland State Board of Elections. Voter Registration A federal felony or a felony from another state is treated the same as a Maryland felony: rights come back on release.
The One Permanent Exception: Buying or Selling Votes
A conviction for buying or selling a vote is treated differently from every other felony. Article I, Section 6 of the Maryland Constitution provides that any person who gives or receives a bribe to influence a vote “shall…be forever disqualified…to vote at any election thereafter.”4Maryland State Archives. Maryland Constitution, Article I Completing the sentence does not lift the ban. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a pardon is the only route back to eligibility after this kind of conviction.5National Conference of State Legislatures. Felon Voting Rights
How To Register After a Felony Conviction
Maryland cancels voter registration when a person is convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison, so registering again is the first practical step after release.6The Daily Record. Automatic Voter Registration for Released Prisoners Stalled in Md. Senate There are three ways to do it.
Registering online is the fastest option. The State Board of Elections runs an Online Voter Registration System that asks for a Maryland driver’s license number, an MVA ID card number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number.1Maryland State Board of Elections. Voter Registration
A paper application also works. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services gives people a voting packet upon release that contains a voter registration form and a mail-in ballot request, along with pre-paid envelopes. The completed form goes to the local board of elections for the person’s county of residence, or to Baltimore City’s board.3Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Restoration of Voting Rights
In-person registration is available at any local board of elections office, at the Motor Vehicle Administration, at various state agencies, and at early voting sites and polling places on Election Day.1Maryland State Board of Elections. Voter Registration
If a person is told they have been removed from the voter rolls because of a criminal conviction report and they believe that report is wrong, they can send a written objection to their local election board within two weeks of receiving the removal notice.7Maryland People’s Law Library. Voting After Criminal Conviction
Voting From Jail While Awaiting Trial or Serving a Misdemeanor
People held in Maryland jails who have not been convicted of a felony keep the right to vote. That includes anyone awaiting trial and anyone serving a misdemeanor sentence. Voting is usually done by mail-in ballot. The Value My Vote Act of 2021 requires government agencies to inform these individuals of their voting rights and directs the State Board of Elections and DPSCS to work together on voter education, registration, mail-in ballot applications, and returning completed ballots on time.8ACLU of Maryland. Voting in the Shadow of Democracy
Implementation has been uneven. A 2022 assessment by the Expand the Ballot, Expand the Vote Coalition visited seventeen Maryland jails and prisons and found that many facility administrators were unaware of the law or confused about which detainees were eligible. Some facilities had no formal process for handing out or collecting ballots. The coalition pointed to the Anne Arundel County Detention Center and the Montgomery County Correctional Center as models, citing structured outreach that included registration drives, multilingual materials, and educational programming.9ACLU of Maryland. Expand the Ballot, Expand the Vote Report Someone in jail who is eligible but has not been given a ballot application can request one from the local board of elections or contact an advocacy group for help.
What About Voting From Prison
People currently serving a felony prison sentence in Maryland cannot vote. Legislation to change that has been introduced but has not become law. In the 2025 session, House Bill 710, the Voting Rights for All Act, got a committee hearing but did not advance beyond the House Ways and Means Committee.10Maryland General Assembly. HB 710 – Election Law – Incarcerated Individuals – Voter Hotline and Voting Eligibility A companion measure, Senate Bill 89, was introduced in the 2026 session by Senator C. Anthony Muse and referred to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, with a hearing scheduled for February 2026. As of mid-2026 it had not advanced further.11Maryland General Assembly. SB 89 – Voting Rights for All Act Both bills would repeal the prohibition on voting by incarcerated felons and set up a toll-free voter hotline for people in prison.12Maryland General Assembly. SB 89 Testimony
Until one of these bills or a similar measure passes, the line stays where it is: rights come back at the prison gate, and a returning citizen can register and vote right away.