Allowing Rockville residents to vote by mail during Mayor and Council elections will be the topic of a public hearing during the Mayor and Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 at City Hall.
The Mayor and Council discussed the proposal during their Jan. 22 meeting, following a Nov. 6 presentation by the city’s Board of Supervisors of Elections.
When voting by mail, registered voters receive a ballot by mail, mark the ballot, place it into a mailing envelope, sign an affidavit on the exterior of the envelope, which has a trackable bar code, and return the package by mail, at a drop box or in person. The board recommended establishing an Election Day center where voters could vote in person, drop off ballots and interact with election officials.
“Please come tell us your thoughts at the public hearing on Feb. 5,” Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said. “We really do want to hear from everybody.”
Anyone wishing to testify at the hearing should call 240-314-8280 before 4 p.m. Feb. 5 to have their names placed on the speakers’ list.
Encouraging more people to vote in city elections is a priority for the Mayor and Council this term. A discussion of board recommendations for the 2019 city election is scheduled for the Monday, Feb. 26 Mayor and Council meeting.
Find a report on the board’s Nov. 6 presentation, including information about other local governments that allow voting by mail, at RockvilleReports.com/mayor-and-council-to-consider-voting-by-mail and video of the Nov. 6 presentation and Jan. 22 discussion at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.