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Government, Voting and Elections

Vote in Rockville Elections

The City of Rockville holds elections for Mayor and Council every four years. In 2023, Rockville conducted a vote-by-mail election for mayor and six councilmembers. The next election will be in 2027.

You are eligible to vote in Rockville elections if you are:

  • A United States citizen.
  • A City of Rockville resident.
  • At least 18 years old as of Election Day.
  • Registered to vote in the State of Maryland.

You are eligible to register to vote if you are:

  • A United States citizen.
  • At least 16 years old.
    • (You may register to vote at 16 but cannot vote until you are at least 18 years old by the next general or special election.)
  • Not under guardianship for mental disability, or if you are, have not been found by a court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote

If you are already a registered voter in the State of Maryland and are a Rockville resident, you are automatically registered to vote in the city election. Confirm your address is correct on your voter registration to make sure your ballot is sent to the right location. Addresses will be used only for election information.

You can register to vote or update your name, address, or party affiliation:

The following candidates were certified by the Board of Supervisors of Elections for the 2023 election:

  • Candidates for the Office of Mayor:
    • Monique Ashton
    • Mark Pierzchala
  • Candidates for the Office of Council:
    • Danniel Belay
    • Kate Fulton
    • Richard Gottfried
    • Harold Hodges
    • Barry Jackson
    • Ricky F. Mui
    • David Myles
    • Anita Neal Powell
    • Paul Scott
    • Izola (Zola) Shaw
    • Marissa Valeri
    • Adam Van Grack

To review nominating petitions or other forms submitted by the candidates, call the Office of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations at 240-314-8286 to make an appointment.

Three candidate forums were broadcast live by Rockville 11 on channel 11 on county cable systems and livestreamed at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville11. Replays are available on Rockville 11 and at youtube.com/cityofrockville.

Community forums included:

Ballots are mailed to all registered voters who live within Rockville city limits at the address on their voter registration. If you do not receive a ballot or forget to sign it before submitting, call the Office of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations at 240-314-8286.

1

Mark Your Ballot

To vote for a candidate, completely fill in the oval next to the candidate’s name using a black ink pen. You may vote for one mayoral candidate and up to six councilmembers. Voting for both mayor and all six councilmembers is not required.

2

Sign and Seal Your Envelope

Insert your completed ballot into the provided return envelope and sign on the signature line located on the outer postage-paid envelope.

3

Submit Your Ballot

To be counted, ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. Once submitted, your vote is final.

You can return your ballot by:

  • Mail (allow time for delivery).
  • Outdoor drop boxes (available anytime) at Rockville City Hall or Montrose Community Center.
  • Indoor drop boxes (available during hours of operation) at the Rockville Senior Center, Lincoln Park Community Center, Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, or Thomas Farm Community Center.
  • In-person voting at Rockville City Hall or Thomas Farm Community Center on Election Day.

To request a replacement ballot or envelope, call the Office of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations at 240-314-8286. To replace your ballot on Election Day, bring it to Rockville City Hall between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., and an election worker will help you spoil your ballot and issue a replacement.

A provisional ballot is issued when a voter’s eligibility cannot be immediately verified. This may occur if:

  • You same-day register and your information is not yet verified.
  • Our records do not show a Rockville address for you.
  • You arrive at a vote center because you do not remember if you signed the ballot envelope.

To prevent duplicate voting, provisional ballots are counted only if your original ballot is not received. If your ballot has not been received by Election Day, visit Rockville City Hall between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day to complete a provisional ballot.

Beginning October 2027, trained election staff can provide assistance at Rockville City Hall during business hours. Accessible voting options include:

  • Designated Agent: Designate someone to pick up or return your ballot at Rockville City Hall by completing the Designation of Agent form.
  • Voter Assistance: If you are unable to mark your own ballot, a designated person may mark your ballot on your behalf by completing the Voter Assistance form mailed with your ballot. The form must be returned in the return envelope. Candidates, employers, supervisors, and union representatives are prohibited from marking ballots.
  • Ballot Marking Devices: Beginning October 2027, ballot marking devices will be available 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday at Rockville City Hall. These touchscreen devices are designed specifically to enable voters who are blind or have low vision or limited mobility to mark their ballots privately and independently. You must bring your ballot and envelope to use a ballot marking device. Election staff will be available for further assistance.

The voting system used by the City of Rockville is the same system and equipment used by the State of Maryland for state and federal elections. Maryland’s election systems are secure, have built-in redundancies, and have been subject to security testing.

The City of Rockville uses a paper-based voting system, meaning there is a paper record of every vote cast, and these ballots can be retabulated if needed. The voting equipment is never connected to the internet. The network used to generate official election results is also never connected to the internet. Physical access to the network is restricted and limited to election officials, all of whom have undergone a security background check. All network transactions are logged.

It is essential to the integrity of an election that ballot processing be accurate and transparent, while
maintaining your right to a secret ballot. After you return your completed ballot, the secure ballot
processing center follows this ballot counting process:

1

Ballot Packet Assembly

Ballot packets are assembled about four weeks before they are mailed. Each ballot has a tracking code linked to the registered voter, ensuring that one ballot is sent per voter. Each ballot packet includes a ballot, a return envelope, and informational inserts.

2

Ballot Mailing

Ballots are mailed to every registered voter at the address on their voter registration.

3

Voting

Voters have until Election Day to cast their vote. Ballots must be received by the city no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day.

4

Ballot Sorting

Ballots are sorted by the city and delivered to the secure processing center. All ballots are transported in a locked and secure vault.

5

Ballot Verification

Each outer return envelope is checked to ensure the oath is signed by the voter named on the envelope. Each ballot is signed by the voter, and the signature is protected using a privacy cover. Each voter is credited for voting in the election, ensuring that only one ballot per voter is counted.

6

Ballot Review

The outer return envelope, which identifies each voter, is separated from the voted ballot. Ballots cannot be traced back to voters, ensuring the secrecy of each vote.

7

Ballot Counting

All ballots are inspected to ensure the tabulating machine can read all votes. Tabulation equipment is tested before every election to ensure accuracy. For more information, read the vote-by-mail FAQs.

Contact

Office of the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations
240-314-8286
elections@rockvillemd.gov

Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Address
Rockville City Hall
111 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850

Resources

Register to Vote