The short version.
A plain-language guide to how county ballot access works in all 24 of Maryland's local election jurisdictions -- 23 counties plus Baltimore City. 2026 is Maryland's gubernatorial year, which is the year county offices are elected, and the regular doors have closed: certificates of candidacy were due at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the primary was held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, and the petition route for unaffiliated candidates closed at 5 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026. One door is still open. A write-in candidate for any office on the November 3, 2026 ballot can still file a certificate of candidacy up to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Maryland runs elections through 24 local boards of elections, one for each county and one for Baltimore City, and county candidates file with their local board rather than with the state. Twelve counties are governed by a Board of County Commissioners and eleven by a County Council under a ratified charter; Baltimore City is a municipality that Maryland election law treats as a county in its own right (EL Sec. 1-101(p)). Not every office exists in every jurisdiction, so this page lists what the State Board of Elections actually certified for your ballot rather than a generic Maryland list.
This page covers that for Calvert County and points you at your local election office for anything specific to your county. It is not legal advice; the official rules live with your election office and the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Calvert County by the numbers.
- In 2024, Calvert County cast 53,882 votes for president: 54.5% Republican, 43.5% Democratic.
The campaigns that win the field are the ones who start building their list of supporters and volunteers before qualifying even opens, not after. Motion51 is ready to load your Calvert County voter file the moment you send it over, so you can start finding your people now.
Maryland election calendar (2026).
Maryland runs one statewide election calendar for every county and for Baltimore City. The dates below cover the 2026 gubernatorial cycle. Three of the four doors have closed; the write-in door has not.
- Tue Feb 24, 2026, 9 p.m.Deadline to file a certificate of candidacy for the 2026 primary -- CLOSED. In a year the Governor is elected, the deadline is 9 p.m. on the last Tuesday in February (EL Sec. 5-303(a)(1)). County candidates file with their local board of elections.
- Tue June 23, 2026Maryland's 2026 primary election -- PAST. Early voting for the primary ran June 11 through June 18.
- Mon Aug 3, 2026, 5 p.m.Deadline for an unaffiliated or new-party candidate to petition onto the November 3, 2026 general election ballot -- CLOSED (EL Sec. 5-703(d), (f)).
- Thu Oct 15, 2026, 5 p.m.Write-in candidate filing deadline -- STILL OPEN as of this guide. A write-in candidate's certificate of candidacy is due by the earlier of 5 p.m. on the 7th day before early voting starts, or 7 days after a total of $51 or more is spent to promote the candidacy by the candidate's campaign finance entity (EL Sec. 5-303(c)). Early voting for the general starts Thursday, October 22, 2026, which puts the calendar deadline at Thursday, October 15.
- Thu Oct 22 - Thu Oct 29, 2026Early voting for the general election, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, at early voting centers in your county of residence.
- Tue Nov 3, 2026Maryland's 2026 general election. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. County offices elected this year serve 4-year terms.
- Expected February 2030Best estimate for the next regular certificate-of-candidacy deadline for county offices, which ride Maryland's four-year gubernatorial cycle. Confirm the exact date with your local board of elections.
The statewide calendar is set by the Election Law Article, but which seats appear on your ballot, and any municipal race running alongside them, is a local question. Confirm every date with your local board of elections before you rely on it.
Offices on the ballot in Calvert County.
The offices below are the ones the Maryland State Board of Elections certified for this jurisdiction's November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Maryland's counties are not uniform: a County Executive exists only in charter counties, an elected County Treasurer in only three jurisdictions, and three counties do not elect Orphans' Court judges at all.
- Board of County Commissioners -- Calvert elects one commissioner at large plus commissioners from districts 1, 2 and 3, all on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- County Treasurer -- an elected office in only three Maryland jurisdictions, and Calvert County is one of them
- State's Attorney -- the county's elected prosecutor, on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- Clerk of the Circuit Court -- keeps the court's records and issues licenses; on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- Register of Wills -- administers estates and the probate process; on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- Judge of the Orphans' Court -- hears estate matters; a genuinely low-barrier first race, and on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- Sheriff -- on the November 3, 2026 ballot
- Board of Education -- a nonpartisan school board seat, on the November 3, 2026 ballot
Statewide and legislative seats covering Calvert County are on the same ballot:
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor -- statewide, 2026
- Comptroller -- statewide, 2026
- Attorney General -- statewide, 2026
- State Senate and House of Delegates -- every seat, by legislative district
- Representative in Congress -- by congressional district
- Judge of the Circuit Court, and retention questions for the Supreme Court of Maryland and the Appellate Court of Maryland
- Democratic and Republican Central Committee members -- a $10 filing fee, and the cheapest partisan office in the state to enter
Which specific seats and districts are up in your jurisdiction is set by charter or public local law and by when each seat was last filled. The State Board's certified candidate list and your local board of elections are the two places to confirm it.
How to get on the ballot.
Maryland runs four routes onto a county ballot: a party primary, an unaffiliated or new-party petition, a write-in filing, and appointment to fill a vacancy. Three of those closed earlier in 2026. The write-in route is open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026, and it is the only one this guide can still send you through.
Write-in candidate -- open until 5 p.m. Thursday, October 15, 2026.
A write-in candidate files a certificate of candidacy with the same board any other candidate would use, but on a different clock. Under EL Sec. 5-303(c) the filing is due by the earlier of two dates: 5 p.m. on the 7th day before early voting begins, or 7 days after a total of at least $51 is spent to promote the candidacy by the candidate's campaign finance entity. Early voting for the November 3, 2026 general election starts on Thursday, October 22, which sets the calendar deadline at 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
- Spending moves the deadline earlier, and this is the trap most write-in candidates fall into. Once your campaign entity has spent $51 in total to promote the candidacy, the clock is 7 days from that expenditure, not October 15. File first, spend second.
- There is no filing fee for a write-in candidate. EL Sec. 5-401(a)(1) exempts write-ins from the fee entirely.
- Write-in votes only count for candidates who filed. A name written on a Maryland ballot by a voter is not counted unless that person is a certified write-in candidate.
- A write-in campaign still needs a campaign finance entity and the same financial disclosure any other candidate for the office files. Ask your local board for the current forms before you spend anything.
Party primary -- closed February 24, 2026.
A candidate seeking a party's nomination for county office files a certificate of candidacy with the local board of elections. In a gubernatorial year the deadline is 9 p.m. on the last Tuesday in February (EL Sec. 5-303(a)(1)), which was February 24, 2026. The primary was held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
- The filing fee for county office is $25 under EL Sec. 5-401(b)(12), the residual clause that covers any public office not separately listed. That is the same $25 for County Executive, council or commissioner, State's Attorney, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Register of Wills, Orphans' Court judge, Sheriff, County Treasurer and Board of Education.
- Offices voted on by the whole of Baltimore City are $150 rather than $25, under EL Sec. 5-401(b)(11). Party central committee is $10 under Sec. 5-401(b)(13).
- The fee is waived if you establish inability to pay. EL Sec. 5-401(c)(2) makes the waiver mandatory once shown, on a sworn statement of assets and disposable net income filed with the certificate of candidacy.
- Nearly every county office also requires a campaign finance entity and a financial disclosure filing before or at the time you file. The State Board's filing requirements table lists which disclosure applies to which office.
Unaffiliated and new-party petition -- closed August 3, 2026.
A candidate not seeking a party nomination reaches the general election ballot by petition, filed with the local board by 5 p.m. on the first Monday in August in the year of the general election (EL Sec. 5-703(d), (f)). For 2026 that was Monday, August 3.
Filling a vacancy on the ballot.
If a nominee withdraws, dies or becomes disqualified after the primary, the party's central committee may name a replacement under the Election Law Article's vacancy provisions. This route is not something a candidate can plan around, but it is worth knowing that a ballot line can reopen after the primary. Ask your local board what the current status of any seat is.
Statutory references: EL Sec. 5-303(a)(1) (certificate of candidacy due 9 p.m. on the last Tuesday in February in a gubernatorial year; February 24, 2026) · EL Sec. 5-303(c) (a write-in candidate's certificate of candidacy is due by the earlier of 7 days after $51 or more is spent to promote the candidacy, or 5 p.m. on the 7th day before early voting starts) · EL Sec. 5-703(d), (f) (unaffiliated and new-party petition, 5 p.m. on the first Monday in August; August 3, 2026) · EL Sec. 5-401(b)(12) ($25 for any other public office), Sec. 5-401(b)(11) ($150 for offices voted on by the whole of Baltimore City), Sec. 5-401(b)(13) ($10 for party central committee), Sec. 5-401(a)(1) (no fee for a write-in candidate), Sec. 5-401(c)(2) (waiver on establishing inability to pay) · EL Sec. 8-201(a)(2)(i) (2026 primary, Tuesday June 23). The general election date is constitutional, Md. Const. Art. XVII Sec. 2, not statutory. · EL Sec. 1-101(p) ('county' means a county of the State or Baltimore City) · Md. Const. Art. IV Sec. 20(b) (Circuit Court judges sit as the Orphans' Court in Montgomery, Harford and Howard counties) · EL Sec. 3-506(a)(1) and COMAR 33.03.02.01B(3) (a Maryland registered voter may obtain the list on written application and a sworn statement that it will not be used for commercial solicitation or any purpose unrelated to the electoral process; 'electoral process' expressly includes qualifying as a candidate for public office and financing a campaign). Fees and signature counts change; confirm before you file.
The Calvert County Board of Elections.
Maryland ballot access runs through this office. Your local board of elections takes the certificate of candidacy for every county office, holds the district maps, and is the source of truth for which seats are up and what paperwork goes with them.
- Office
- 30 Duke Street, Lower Level, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
- Phone
- 410-535-2214
- [email protected]
- Mailing
- P.O. Box 798, Prince Frederick, MD 20678-0798
Calvert is one of only three Maryland jurisdictions with an elected County Treasurer on the November 3, 2026 ballot, alongside St. Mary's and Washington.
Contact details verified 2026-08-14. Official statewide sources: Maryland State Board of Elections: Offices up for Election in 2026 · Maryland State Board of Elections: Requirements for Filing Candidacy · Maryland State Board of Elections: Local Boards of Elections · 2026 General Election Local Candidate Listings · Maryland Election Law Sec. 5-303 (filing deadlines, including write-ins) · Maryland Election Law Sec. 5-401 (filing fees and the inability-to-pay waiver).
Common questions.
Can I still get on the ballot in Calvert County in 2026?
One route is still open. The deadline to file a certificate of candidacy for the primary passed at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the primary was held June 23, and the unaffiliated petition route closed at 5 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2026. A write-in candidate can still file with the Calvert County Board of Elections up to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026 (EL Sec. 5-303(c)). Watch the spending trap: once your campaign entity has spent $51 or more in total to promote the candidacy, the filing is due 7 days after that expenditure, whichever comes first.
How much does it cost to run for county office in Calvert County?
$25 for a county office, under EL Sec. 5-401(b)(12), the residual clause covering any public office not listed separately. Offices voted on by the whole of Baltimore City are $150 instead, under Sec. 5-401(b)(11), and a party central committee seat is $10. A write-in candidate pays no filing fee at all (Sec. 5-401(a)(1)), and any candidate who establishes an inability to pay gets the fee waived under Sec. 5-401(c)(2) by filing a sworn statement of assets and disposable net income with the certificate of candidacy.
Where do I file to run for county office in Calvert County?
With the Calvert County Board of Elections, not with the state. Maryland routes candidates for County Executive, county council or commissioner, County Treasurer, State's Attorney, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Register of Wills, Orphans' Court judge, Sheriff and Board of Education to their local board, while candidates for Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, the General Assembly and Congress file with the State Board of Elections in Annapolis.
Which offices are on the 2026 ballot in Calvert County?
The office list above comes from the State Board of Elections' certified 2026 general election candidate listing for this jurisdiction, so it reflects what is actually on the ballot rather than a generic Maryland list. Maryland counties are not uniform: a County Executive is elected only in charter counties, County Treasurer is an elected office in only three jurisdictions, Montgomery, Harford and Howard elect no Orphans' Court judges, and Anne Arundel is the one jurisdiction with no Board of Education race in 2026.
When is Maryland's next election for county office after 2026?
Maryland county offices ride the four-year gubernatorial cycle, so the seats elected on November 3, 2026 serve four-year terms and come up again in 2030, with the certificate-of-candidacy deadline expected in late February 2030. Baltimore City's Mayor and City Council run on the city's own separate cycle. Confirm the next cycle for any specific seat with the Calvert County Board of Elections.
After you qualify: the field operation.
Maryland is small and wildly uneven: Montgomery and Prince George's each hold roughly as many voters as several Eastern Shore counties combined, and Kent County's whole electorate would fit inside a couple of Baltimore County council districts. A council race in Columbia and a commissioner race in Snow Hill are different jobs. On the Shore and in Western Maryland a county race can be won on a few thousand doors; in the Washington and Baltimore suburbs the same office needs a real turf plan and a volunteer bench.
That is the part Motion51 was built for. You scope your district, cut turf, and send volunteers out with a phone instead of a clipboard. It works offline, so canvassing does not stop where the cell signal does, and every door is logged with a timestamp for your records. Our For Candidates page walks through what that looks like.
Counties next to Calvert.
Running in a district that crosses a county line? Each of these has its own guide.