Casting your Vote

Mail Ballot Instructions

Important Information Regarding the 2022 General Election

  • DCBOE will mail each registered DC voter a mail ballot ahead of the November 8, 2022 Primary Election.
  • To ensure that you receive your mail ballot at the correct address, it is critical that you CHECK and UPDATE (if necessary) your voter registration.
  • Mail ballot drop boxes will be distributed to 55 locations throughout the District, and will be open to voters starting in October. Once mail ballot drop boxes open, voters will be able to return their voted mail-in ballots to any mail ballot drop box location until 8:00 p.m. ET on November 8.
  • Voters may also return their voted mail ballot via USPS (must be postmarked by November 8 and received by the Board of Elections no later than November 15), or in person at any Vote Center during the Early Voting period or on Election Day.

Mail Ballot Instructions


Check that you have all the contents of your Mail Ballot Packet. You should have received the following items:
  • Your Ballot (1)
  • A Secrecy Sleeve (2)
  • A Postage Prepaid Return Ballot Envelope (3)
  • An Instruction Sheet with “I Voted” Sticker (4)
IMPORTANT: Make sure you have the ballot that reflects your correct Ward. If you have the wrong ballot, contact us immediately at 1-866-DCVOTES (1-866-328-6837).

Read the ballot instructions carefully.
Vote your ballot with a blue or black ink pen by filling in the oval to the left of your choice completely:
Hand with Pen Filling Oval
 
  • You do not have to vote every contest on the ballot.
  • If you wish to vote for an individual whose name is not printed on the ballot, you may write in that individual’s name on the blank “write-in” line and fill in the oval to the left of that line. 
  • If you make a mistake on your ballot or misplace your voting materials, contact us IMMEDIATELY at 1-866-DCVOTES (1-866-328-6837) to discuss your options.
Ballot and Secrecy Sleeve





Refold your voted ballot and place it into the Secrecy Sleeve. Please DO NOT fold the ballot to make it fit inside the Secrecy Sleeve. Ballot is wider than the Secrecy Sleeve to facilitate ballot tabulation.




Please DO NOT fold the ballot to make it fit inside the Secrecy Sleeve.








Place the Secrecy Sleeve into the postage prepaid Return Ballot Envelope. (Only your ballot can be placed inside the Return Ballot Envelope. If the Return Ballot Envelope contains additional ballots other than yours, none of the ballots will be counted.)