List of Maryland gubernatorial elections


Maryland gubernatorial elections in their modern sense, have been held since the implementation of the Maryland Constitution of 1867 to directly elect the governor of Maryland and the officers that work with the winner candidate.
After the initial election was held on November 5, 1867, when Oden Bowie became the 34th governor of Maryland, each subsequent election was held every four years in November.
The candidates for the elections are previously selected in July of the same year in the primary elections in Maryland, but the difference with the primaries is that in the general election voters can select candidates from any party since all parties are present in the voters ballot.

Process

During Maryland gubernatorial elections are elected the state offices, federal offices, and county offices, in each one of them are elected their primary staff.

State offices

Federal offices

County offices

  • County Executive
  • County Council / Commissioner
  • County Treasurers
  • State's Attorney
  • Clerk of the Circuit Courts
  • Register of Wills
  • Judges of the Orphan's Court
  • Sheriff
  • Board of Education for each county: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester County. Voters can cast one votes for every district in their county.

Political parties in Maryland

There are four political parties in Maryland:
On primary elections can be elected candidates of Maryland Democratic Party and Maryland Republican Party. On general elections can be elected candidates of the four political parties in Maryland.

Voting process

Voter registration

Voters can register in MVA offices and also with officers in public places such libraries, early voting centers and some schools and is necessary only to be done once, if a voter registered for a primary election does not need to register again for the Gubernatorial election and does not need an ID in order to vote after the voter is registered in the system.

Polling place

Polling place is specific to each voter according their address, polling place can be looked up on Maryland's State Board of election website, in current election it is accessible from the voting menu and the bottom Polling Place Locator where user is asked to enter its house number or building address, and also its street and zip code. Are early voting centers of each county for early voters and on election day it is only the voter designated polling place, that can be a school or a library, the polling place can be reviewed on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Early vote

Early votes can assist to voting centers from two Thursdays before the primaries and until one Thursday prior primary elections from 10 am until 8 pm, voters can assist to voting centers from two Thursdays before the general elections until one Thursday prior general elections from 10 am until 8 pm,.

Maryland's congressional districts

The elections are held to elect the candidates in each of the 8 Maryland's congressional districts:

Primary election day

Primary elections are held on last Tuesday of June, five months before general elections are held. Only democrat and republican voters allowed to vote on primary elections, voters of other parties are not allowed to vote on primaries.

General election day

General election day is the first Tuesday of the month, on this day are elected Maryland offices, Federal offices, county offices. On general elections, electors can vote for or against constitutional statewide amendments or county wide projects.

Ballot

The ballot is specific to the address of voters, so there are different ballots for each of the counties in Maryland; in fact, each county could have more than 50 different ballots. Sample ballots are available on the Maryland website on the 2018 Primary Election Proofing Ballots section.
Also will be able to see the "My Candidate Information" section with all the options for vote, among other information, and also will be also to see their specific sample ballot as a PDF file in order to take a better selection researching more on the biography and careers weeks or months before assisting to vote allowing a better election.
Each voter will have an assigned ballot that will be according its address, it can be reviewed online in English and Spanish in the State Board of Elections website, where entering the voter first and last name, date of birth and zip code, and the elector will be able to see its options, that are the following:
  • Precinct
  • Congressional District
  • Legislative District
  • Councilman District
  • Circuit Court District
  • Appellate circuit court
  • Central Committee
  • Election District
  • School
  • And Senatorial district.
Voters also will be able to see the "My Candidate Information" section with all the options for vote, among other information, and also will be also to see their specific sample ballot as a PDF file in order to take a better selection researching more on the biography and careers weeks or months before assisting to vote allowing a better election.

Voter look-up website

Voter look-up website is the official website for voters to find their voters information. In order to access to their information each voter must enter their first name, last name, day of birth and the zip code that appear in their id.
The information that voters can access in the Voter look-up website is the followed:
  • My Voter Registration Record: This include the requirement or not of shown an ID in order to vote, Voter name, Voter address, Party affiliation, Registration day
  • Polling Place Address and Directions
  • My Voting Districts
  • My Candidate Information
  • My Ballot Questions
  • Local Board of Elections information
  • Sample ballot: If the sample ballot is not accessible, voters can access the book of general election ballots specific for their county and look for their voting districts in order to find their ballot.

Vote in the polling place

When electors assist to the polling place are directed to reception area where personal ask to the elector its last name and first name, address and day and month of birthday, after it print a receipt and ask the voter to sign the receipt and instruct to go to the ballot dispensing table, where the voter receive the ballot, that contents three or more ballots, two for elect personal and the other ballot for or against amendments.
After receive the ballot the voter select their candidates with a black pen on the tables and in early votes go to one of the machines for capture the ballot information and where personal receive and staple in order of reception all the voters received. In early voting centers each polling places has more than five voting machines, on day of elections each voting center has only one voting machine.

Information about the candidates

The information about whom are the candidates running for office can be found in the Gubernatorial Candidate Listings of the Maryland State Board of Elections, also in the League of Women Voters website and in the Maryland Apple Ballot.

Turnout

Number of electors in Maryland in 2018 is 3,931,730 and is projected a turnout of around 50% with an expected abstention of 50% of electors.

List of Maryland elections since the Civil War

The following is a list of elections for the position of Governor of Maryland since the American Civil War.
Winners are in bold and incumbents are denoted by asterisks.

Election results by year

2022">2022 Maryland gubernatorial election">2022

The 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022.
  • Wes Moore / Aruna Miller - 1,293,944
  • Dan Cox / Gordana Schifanelli - 644,000
  • David Lashar / Christiana Logansmith - 30,101
  • David Harding / Cathy White - 17,154
  • Nancy Wallace / Patrick Elder - 14,580
  • Write-ins - 5,444

2018">2018 Maryland gubernatorial election">2018

The 2018 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018.

2014">2014 Maryland gubernatorial election">2014

The 2014 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014.

2010">2010 Maryland gubernatorial election">2010

The 2010 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010.

2006">2006 Maryland gubernatorial election">2006

2002">2002 Maryland gubernatorial election">2002

1998">1998 Maryland gubernatorial election">1998

Parris Glendening / Kathleen Kennedy Townsend * - 846,972

1994">1994 Maryland gubernatorial election">1994

Parris Glendening / Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - 708,094

1990">1990 Maryland gubernatorial election">1990

William Donald Schaefer / Melvin Steinberg * - 664,015
  • William S. Shepard / Lois Shepard - 446,980

1986">1986 Maryland gubernatorial election">1986

William Donald Schaefer / Melvin Steinberg - 907,291
  • Thomas J. Mooney / Melvin Bilal - 194,185

1982">1982 Maryland gubernatorial election">1982

Harry R. Hughes/ J. Joseph Curran Jr. * - 705,910

1978">1978 Maryland gubernatorial election">1978

Harry R. Hughes/ Samuel W. Bogley - 718,328

1974">1974 Maryland gubernatorial election">1974

Marvin Mandel/ Blair Lee III * - 602,648

1970">1970 Maryland gubernatorial election">1970

Marvin Mandel/ Blair Lee III - 639,579
  • C. Stanley Blair/ Herbert John "Jack" Miller Jr. - 314,336
  • Robert Woods Merkle Sr./ Elbert G. Miller - 19,184

1966">1966 Maryland gubernatorial election">1966

Spiro Agnew - 455,318

1962">1962 Maryland gubernatorial election">1962

J. Millard Tawes * - 428,071

1958">1958 Maryland gubernatorial election">1958

J. Millard Tawes - 485,061

1954">1954 Maryland gubernatorial election">1954

Theodore R. McKeldin * - 381,451

1950">1950 Maryland gubernatorial election">1950

Theodore R. McKeldin - 369,807

1946">1946 Maryland gubernatorial election">1946

William Preston Lane Jr. - 268,084
  • Theodore R. McKeldin - 221,752

1942">1942 Maryland gubernatorial election">1942

1938">1938 Maryland gubernatorial election">1938

  • Herbert R. O'Conor - 308,372
  • Harry Whinna Nice * - 242,095
  • Herbert Brune - 7,503
  • Joshua C. Gwin - 4,249
  • David W. Eyman - 941
  • Robert Kadish - 759
  • Samuel Gordon - 616

1934">1934 Maryland gubernatorial election">1934

1930">1930 Maryland gubernatorial election">1930

1926">1926 Maryland gubernatorial election">1926

  • Albert C. Ritchie * - 207,435
  • Addison E. Mullikin - 148,145

1923">1923 Maryland gubernatorial election">1923

1919">1919 Maryland gubernatorial election">1919

  • Albert C. Ritchie - 112,240
  • Harry Whinna Nice - 112,075
  • Arthur L. Blessing - 2,799

1915">1915 Maryland gubernatorial election">1915

1911">1911 Maryland gubernatorial election">1911

1907">1907 Maryland gubernatorial election">1907

1903">1903 Maryland gubernatorial election">1903

1899">1899 Maryland gubernatorial election">1899

1895">1895 Maryland gubernatorial election">1895

  • Lloyd Lowndes Jr. - 124,936
  • John E. Hurst - 106,169

1891">1891 Maryland gubernatorial election">1891

1887">1887 Maryland gubernatorial election">1887

1883">1883 Maryland gubernatorial election">1883

1879">1879 Maryland gubernatorial election">1879

1875">1875 Maryland gubernatorial election">1875

1871">1871 Maryland gubernatorial election">1871

1867">1867 Maryland gubernatorial election">1867