Summary
Should every registered voter automatically get a ballot? Board data shows it would roughly 2.5x mailing costs (~$39,500 vs ~$14,600), but members pointed to Hyattsville doubling turnout and an 85% return rate among people who request ballots. Decision deferred to budget season.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 12, 2026.
Impact analysis
Mailing ballots to all ~16,000 registered voters would cost roughly $37,800–$39,500 versus about $14,600 for the current application process.
Voters who find the two-step application process a barrier — potentially thousands more ballots cast.
Candidates with limited budgets, who Mayor Jordan warned would face higher campaign costs.
Mentions & discussions (3)
City Council - Oct 12, 2026
Mailing a ballot to every registered voter could cost about $37,000-$39,000 — roughly 2.5 times the current application system. Council split 5-2 on cost-studying a default opt-in approach, with Hyattsville's turnout success cited as a model.
General - Sep 23, 2026
Should every registered voter automatically get a ballot? Board data shows it would roughly 2.5x mailing costs (~$39,500 vs ~$14,600), but members pointed to Hyattsville doubling turnout and an 85% return rate among people who request ballots. Decision deferred to budget season.
General - Jun 3, 2026
Council members floated mailing ballots directly to every voter to boost turnout and help with ranked-choice voting, but Board members warned the county voter list is full of bad addresses, raising fraud concerns. The Board will revisit the mail-in process at a future meeting.
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