Maryland State Legislative Democratic Primaries, 2018

From Ballotpedia
2018 Maryland
General Assembly elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 26, 2018
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:


The Democratic primary elections for the seats in the Maryland State Senate and Maryland House of Delegates were on June 26, 2018. For information about the Republican primary elections in Maryland, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was February 27, 2018. In the state Senate, all 47 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 141 seats were up for election.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of November 2017, Maryland was one of 18 states under divided government and not one of the 32 states under a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

    • Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

    Incumbents retiring[edit]

    Ten Democratic state Senate incumbents did not file for re-election.

    Twenty Democratic state House incumbents did not file for re-election.

    Incumbents defeated[edit]

    Four Democratic state Senate incumbents were defeated.

    Seven Democratic state House incumbents were defeated.

    Competitveness[edit]

    See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Maryland state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

    Compared to 2014 (the last time the state legislature held elections), there were 12 fewer open seats, roughly the same number of candidates running, and seven more contested Democratic primaries.

    Year Total seats Open seats Total candidates Democratic primaries contested Republican primaries contested Total contested Incumbents contested in primaries Total incumbents contested in primaries
    2018 188 38 520 64 26 39.5% 107 71.3%
    2014 188 50 517 57 27 36.8% 92 66.7%

    Partisan control[edit]

    The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland State Senate as of June 2018:

    Maryland House of Delegates[edit]

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 90
         Republican Party 50
         Vacancies 1
    Total 141

    Maryland State Senate[edit]

    Party As of November 2025
         Democratic Party 33
         Republican Party 14
         Vacancies 0
    Total 47

    Battleground races[edit]

    Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Maryland state legislative Democratic primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Democratic caucus or had an impact on general election races.

    To determine the Maryland state legislative Democratic primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

    1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
    2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
    3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.



    Media coverage[edit]

    This section provides an overview of media reactions to the Maryland state legislative Democratic primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.


    Voter information[edit]

    How the primary works[edit]

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maryland law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. As of October 2025, both the Democratic and Republican parties operated a closed primary where only a voter affiliated with the party may vote in a party's primary.[2]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times[edit]

    In Maryland, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]

    Registration requirements[edit]

    Check your voter registration status here.

    According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, to register to vote in Maryland, one must be a United States citizen and Maryland resident who is at least 16 years old. Although a 16-year-old can register to vote, they cannot vote in an election unless they will be 18 at the time of the next general election (i.e., 17-year-olds are permitted to vote in primary elections, so long as they'll be 18 by the time of the corresponding general election).[4]

    Maryland allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.[4]

    Voters may register online, by mail, or in person at one of the following locations:[4]

    • Local board of elections
    • The State Board of Elections
    • Local Department of Health office
    • Maryland Department of Human Services local offices
    • Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) offices
    • Local Area Agency on Aging offices
    • MTA Paratransit Certification Office
    • All public institutions of higher education
    • Recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces
    • Marriage license offices
    • Offices for students with disabilities at all Maryland colleges and universities

    Automatic registration[edit]

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    Maryland automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Motor Vehicle Administration.[5]

    Online registration[edit]

    See also: Online voter registration

    Maryland has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration[edit]

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    Maryland allows same-day voter registration.[4]

    Residency requirements[edit]

    A voter registration applicant must be a resident of the state.[4]

    Verification of citizenship[edit]

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Mayland does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

    Several local jurisdictions in Maryland permit noncitizens to vote in at least some local elections. These jurisdictions maintain separate voter registration systems for noncitizen voters. See here for more information.

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[6] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration[edit]

    The voter lookup page, run by the Maryland State Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

    Voter ID requirements[edit]

    Maryland does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.[3]

    The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[7]

    These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

    A voter will also be asked to show ID in these other circumstances:[8][9]

    • The voter’s identity is challenged; or
    • The voter registers to vote during early voting or changes his or her address during early voting.

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Maryland State Board of Elections' voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.

    “
    • The voter’s driver's license number, MVA ID card number or the last four digits of the voter’s social security number, and election officals will attempt to verify this information with MVA or Social Security Administration.
    • A copy of a current and valid photo identification (i.e., Maryland driver's license, MVA ID card, student or employee photo ID card, military ID card, passport, or any other State or federal goverment issued ID card).
    • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the voter’s name and address.[10]
    		 ”

    Early voting[edit]

    Maryland permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting[edit]

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Maryland. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[11]

    To receive an absentee/by-mail ballot in the mail, an application must be submitted by at least seven days prior to the election, whether by mail, in-person, or by fax or email. To print an absentee/mail-in ballot at home, the application must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day.

    A voter can return their ballot in person to a voting location or drop box until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. A ballot returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day.[11]


    See also[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
    2. ↑ LexisNexis, "Md. Election Code Ann. § 8–202," accessed October 20, 2025
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Rules and Information for Voters," accessed October 23, 2025
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Introduction," accessed October 23, 2025
    5. ↑ Maryland Motor Vehicle Association, "Motor Voter," accessed October 23, 2025
    6. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    7. ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
    8. ↑ MD Code, Election Law, "§ 10-312. Challenge of an individual's right to vote," accessed October 7, 2025
    9. ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Change of Address," accessed October 7, 2025
    10. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Mail-in Voting: Information and Instructions," accessed October 23, 2025
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