State U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Warn Marylanders About Election Misinformation

The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI issued a statement Tuesday warning Maryland voters about election misinformation.

The U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and the FBI have started a National Voter Disinformation Initiative to combat voter suppression schemes.

“The right to vote is one of the most important rights exercised by Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Plan now to determine when, where, and how you will vote.  Don’t let misinformation keep you from exercising your right to vote!”

The use of social media to share misinformation regarding the time, place, or manner of voting is subject to federal prosecution, according to the statement.

The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages voters to evaluate the sources from which they get election information.

“Seek out election information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced the content, and consider their intent,” the statement reads.

Marylanders are encouraged to report disinformation about the manner, time, or place of voting in Maryland to the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI at (410) 265-8080 or submit a tip on the FBI’s website at https://www.fbi.gov/tips.

Important Voting Information from the Statement:

Election Day is on November 3, 2020.

Mail-In Voting

• Your mail-in ballot must be mailed AND postmarked on or before November 3, 2020, to be counted.
• Please be advised that putting your ballot in a mailbox on November 3 does not mean it is postmarked that day, so plan ahead.

Ballot Drop Boxes

• You can also put your ballot in a drop off box location up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
• A list of drop box locations can be found on the website of the Maryland State Board of Elections at https://elections.maryland.gov/.

In-Person Early Voting

• In-person voting will begin during the early voting period from Monday, October 26 to Monday, November 2, 2020.
• On early voting days, approximately 80 vote centers will be open statewide from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Voters can cast their vote at any vote center in their county of residence.
• Visit the Maryland State Board of Election’s website at https://elections.maryland.gov/ to see the list of early voting centers.

Voting In-Person on Election Day 

• On Election Day, approximately 315 vote centers will be open statewide, including the early voting centers.
• Voters can cast their vote at any vote center in their county of residence, and residents in the City of Baltimore may cast their vote at any vote center in the city.
• Your neighborhood polling place probably will not be open on Election Day, but there should be a vote center near you.
• Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.  Visit the Maryland State Board of Elections website at https://elections.maryland.gov/ to see the list of Election Day vote centers.

Previous Posts

Ballot Drop Boxes Available in Montgomery County for 2020 General Election

Maryland Attorney General Encourages Everyone to ‘Make a Plan’ for Voting

About Brendan Hartlove

Brendan Hartlove is a senior broadcast journalism major at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. In September 2020, he joined Montgomery Community Media as an intern. At the University of Maryland, Brendan has been a sports play-by-play broadcaster, news anchor, video reporter, writer, and podcast host. In May 2020, Brendan was recognized as the #5 most outstanding collegiate sports broadcaster in the nation by the 2020 Jim Nantz Award.

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