Along with a list of candidates vying for an expanded number of council seats and a mayor, four advisory referendum questions will also be on the Nov. 7 Mayor and Council election ballot.
Voters will have the opportunity to choose “yes,” “no” or “no opinion” on the following:
- Voting Age: Voters in the city’s election must be 18 or older to vote. Should Rockville allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections?
- Non-Citizen Voting: Only U.S. citizens who live in Rockville can vote in city elections. Should Rockville allow city residents without U.S. citizenship to vote?
- Term Limits: Mayor and Council members have no limits on the number of four-year terms they can serve. Should elected officials be limited to three consecutive terms?
- Representative Districts: Councilmembers are elected at large, meaning all registered city voters vote for all six councilmembers. Should the city be divided into representative districts to elect some, or all, of the six councilmembers?
The nonbinding advisory questions — meaning they allow voters to express a preference without resulting in a change to Rockville law — are based on recommendations from the Charter Review Commission.
The Mayor and Council may consider voters’ preferences on the ballot questions should they choose to change the city’s election law.
In this election, voters will have the opportunity to elect seven members of the city’s elected body — a mayor and six council members — following a unanimous vote Feb. 6 by the Mayor and Council on a charter amendment resolution to add two seats to the council.
The Mayor and Council will hold a public hearing during their Monday, Sept. 11 meeting on a charter amendment to modify the procedure for adopting ordinances by increasing the number of councilmembers needed to request a public hearing on an ordinance when introduced, and increasing the number of councilmembers needed to vote in favor of waiving layover and agenda requirements to adopt an ordinance.
Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters who live within Rockville city limits.
All ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. Voters will be able to vote by mail, in person at the two Election Day Vote Centers on Nov. 7, or at an election drop box.
Voters can cast their ballots in person at vote centers on Election Day, Nov. 7, at either City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., or Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive. Vote centers will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Election Day only.
Voters will be able to drop their ballots at boxes inside the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive; Lincoln Park Community Center, 357 Frederick Ave.; Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway; and Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive. The boxes will be available during center hours.
In addition to a drop box outside City Hall, voters will be able to drop their ballot at a drop box outside Montrose Community Center, 451 Congressional Lane. Both will be available 24/7, beginning in late September or early October.
Key 2023 election dates:
- On or before Friday, Oct. 13: Ballots mailed to registered voters.
- Tuesday, Nov. 7: Election Day. Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. in person at City Hall or by mail.
For more information, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/election or email [email protected].
