Mission Statement

The mission of the Board of Elections is to register voters, conduct elections, assist persons seeking elective office with candidate filings and campaign fund reports, assist citizens seeking to place questions on the ballot, and preserve election data.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY22 Operating Budget for the Montgomery County Board of Elections is $8,300,356, an increase of $16,250 or 0.20 percent from the FY21 Approved Budget of $8,284,106. Personnel Costs comprise 54.28 percent of the budget for 29 full-time position(s) and two part-time position(s), and a total of 56.35 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 45.72 percent of the FY22 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government
• Thriving Youth and Families

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY21 estimates reflect funding based on the FY21 approved budget. The FY22 and FY23 figures are performance targets based on the FY22 recommended budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY23.

Initiatives

• Improve voter satisfaction with the polling place experience during Early Voting and Election Day.
• Monitor and mitigate voter wait time on Election Day.
• Ensure vulnerable populations always have access to various methods of voting: in-person, vote-by-mail, or provisional.
• Expand the use of social media to enhance voter education and community outreach.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• Received the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Award for the Montgomery County Voter App and Short Code that links residents to the Maryland voter registration website, allows voters to request a vote-by-mail application, and allows voters to find the closest voting center to his or her voting location and access its current wait time.
• Transitioning from traditional in-person Election Judge training to a hybrid of virtual and on-site instruction, which will reduce training costs.
• Creation of a ballot drop box mail system to ensure the secure and expeditious return of cast ballots to the Board of Elections.
• Expansion of canvassing capacity using an off-site location that will allow up to 20,000 ballots to be counted per day.

Program Descriptions

  Voter Services

Accurate voter registration records are the foundation for fair and equitable elections, and accurate voter registration records are the basis of effective election planning. The Voter Services program administers voter registration and absentee voting under procedures established by the State Administrator of Elections. Voter Services is responsible for answering voters'...

  Election Operations

The Election Operations program contains three independent sections that ensure Early and Election Day voting is successful. These sections are Polling Place and Early Voting Management, Election Judge Recruitment and Training, and Outreach.According to the Maryland Law Code, the Polling Place and Early Voting Management (PPM) section is responsible for...

  Administration

The Administration program of the Board of Elections is responsible for delivering a fundamental and legally mandated public good by ensuring that all eligible citizens have the right to vote, and that elections are accurate, fair, and equitable. This requires effective management of resources from the State Board of Elections...

  Information Technology

The Information and Technology (IT) program supports the year-round security of all data and the efficient performance of voting equipment for thousands of voters during an election cycle. The IT program is responsible for network infrastructure, the production of data reports, the maintenance of systems related to election operations, the...