Town of Ridgely, MD Absentee Voter Registration

Any qualified voter whose physical disability confines him or her to bed and/or permanently prevents him or her from being present to register or reregister at the office of the Board of Elections shall be allowed to register or reregister by completing such application for registration as the Board shall prescribe and by approval of said application by the Board.

Any qualified Town voter in the following categories shall be allowed to register and reregister by completing such application for registration as the Board of Elections shall prescribe and by approval of such application by the Board. Unless otherwise provided, all applications must be received not later than the Tuesday preceding the election. Those categories of eligible voters are:

[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 187]

(1)

A member of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or any component thereof, including those honorably discharged therefrom during the period beginning 30 days prior to the last registration day prior to an election and continuing up to and including the date of election, and including his or her spouse or dependents, and his or her application for an absentee ballot may be received by the Board of Elections no later than 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

(2)

A person as an officer or member of the crew of any vessel documented under the laws of the United States or enrolled for such employment with the federal government and his or her spouse or dependents.

(3)

A civilian employee of the United States in all categories serving outside the United States, whether or not subject to the civil service laws and whether or not paid from funds appropriated by Congress, and his or her spouse and dependents.

(4)

Any person serving with the American Red Cross, the Society of Friends and Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots and the United Service Organization who is attached to or serving with the Armed Forces of the United States outside the United States and his or her spouse or dependents.

(5)

Any citizen and resident who is continuously absent from the town for the 30 days prior to the closing of registration before any election, who may apply for registration and voting during those 30 days, provided that his or her application is received by the Board of Elections no later than the fifth Monday which is four weeks before the election for which he or she applies for voting.

(6)

Any otherwise qualified voter whose confinement in or restriction to an institution prevents him or her from being present to register or reregister at the office of the Board of Elections.

For purposes of this section, a voter shall be deemed and held to have resided continuously in the same geographical area in which he or she resided at the time he or she first left to become absent or engaged in such service for the entire period he or she has been so absent or engaged.

When properly registered under this section, a person shall continue as a registered voter to the same extent and for the same period that he or she would be registered had he or she appeared in person and been registered under the provisions of the election laws of Ridgely, exclusive of this section.