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Can you vote with a felony in Maryland?

The short answer

After prison.

In Maryland, people lose the right to vote only while in prison for a felony. It comes back on release, including on parole or probation. Some other convictions can affect it too; the details are below.

The exception: People convicted of buying or selling votes are not eligible to register or vote, even after completing their sentence.1,7,8

In Maryland, a person convicted of a felony cannot register or vote while serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment for it. Eligibility returns on release from prison, including for people on parole or probation, and the person then registers to vote. A conviction for buying or selling votes is the exception: it disqualifies a person even after the sentence is complete, and the law gives no end date.1,7

Checked October 22, 2026 against 13 sources, starting with Maryland law, then by a second reader.

  1. In prison for a felonyCan't vote1,7
  2. On paroleCan vote1,5,8
  3. On probationCan vote1,5
  4. Sentence completeCan vote after registering again1,7,8
Check with Maryland's election office

Before you register

Your state or county election office can confirm your own status, for free. Voting while ineligible can carry criminal penalties, so if anything about your case is unclear, ask them first. The general election is November 3, 2026; registration deadlines are on vote.gov.

How the right comes back

Automatically

Eligibility returns automatically once the person is no longer serving the court-ordered sentence of imprisonment (Election Law § 3-102(b)(1)). The corrections department's guide says a person is eligible to register as soon as they are released from the correctional facility, whether on parole or because the sentence is complete, and state law requires the department to give each released person a voter registration application and to post signs in parole and probation offices saying that anyone no longer incarcerated has the right to vote (Correctional Services § 2-601). The person registers again after release (see must_reregister). A person convicted of a felony again loses eligibility until released again. No restoration process is stated for people convicted of buying or selling votes.1,5,7,8

When the right doesn't come back on its own

  • Buying or selling votes

Election Law § 3-102(b)(3) says a person who 'has been convicted of buying or selling votes' is not qualified to be a registered voter, and the corrections department's guide says such a person is not eligible to register 'regardless of if you have completed your court-ordered sentence of imprisonment.' Neither the law nor the official pages describe a way to restore eligibility; whether a pardon would do so was not confirmed.1,7,8

Fines, fees and restitution

Not required

The only conviction-based bar for a felony is serving the sentence of imprisonment (Election Law § 3-102(b)(1)); the law does not list payment of fines, fees or restitution as a condition, and the official pages opened don't mention payment.1

Registering again

Yes

Once the right is back, Maryland requires a new voter registration before voting.2,3,5,8,9,10

Misdemeanors and jail

A misdemeanor conviction or jail sentence does not affect eligibility: the corrections department says a person arrested for a misdemeanor remains eligible even if convicted, including while awaiting trial and while serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment. The one exception is a conviction for buying or selling votes, which disqualifies a person whatever the grade of the offense; influencing a voter through bribery or a reward is a misdemeanor under Election Law § 16-201.1,4,8,11

The corrections department says people arrested and held for a felony or a misdemeanor can register and vote while in a Maryland correctional facility, and that a person arrested for a felony, even if held while awaiting trial, can register and vote until convicted.8,11

Convictions from another state or federal court

The State Board of Elections says that, for eligibility, convictions include federal, state and out-of-state convictions.7

What's changed

Coming January 1, 2027. Senate Bill 241 of 2026 (Chapter 427), approved by the Governor on May 12, 2026 and effective January 1, 2027, requires the corrections department to send the State Board of Elections a monthly list of people released from State correctional facilities, and requires the Board to promptly restore the voter registration, with active status, of each person who was registered in Maryland before being incarcerated and whose new address is in the state, and to send them a notice. The Board and the department must have the procedures in place by January 1, 2028. Until this takes effect, people released from prison need to register again.9

March 10, 2016: Effective March 10, 2016, a person convicted of a felony became eligible to register to vote once the court-ordered sentence of imprisonment is completed. The corrections department's guide says this includes people released on parole.7

The law

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This page explains Maryland's general rules from its law and election office. It isn't legal advice, and a case can turn on the details of a sentence. The election office can confirm your status.

Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.

Cite this page

Second Chance Index, "Can you vote with a felony in Maryland?" https://secondchanceindex.com/voting-rights/maryland, checked October 22, 2026.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 22, 2026.

  1. Md. Code, Election Law § 3-102(b)
  2. Md. Code, Election Law § 3-501
  3. Md. Code, Election Law § 3-504(a)
  4. Md. Code, Election Law § 16-201
  5. Md. Code, Correctional Services § 2-601
  6. 2026 Md. Laws ch. 427 (SB 241), adding Election Law § 3-203.1, effective January 1, 2027
  7. Voter RegistrationMaryland State Board of Elections
  8. Restoration of Voting Rights in Maryland (June 2022)Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
  9. SB0241 (2026), Chapter 427: bill page, chapter text and revised fiscal and policy noteMaryland General Assembly
  10. Fiscal and Policy Note (Revised), Senate Bill 241 (2026)Maryland Department of Legislative Services
  11. Voting While Incarcerated in a Correctional FacilityMaryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
  12. Election Law § 3-102 (view including pending enactments)Maryland General Assembly
  13. Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026 ElectionMaryland State Board of Elections