UMD Study: More Than 9 in 10 Marylanders Typically Satisfied with Voting Experience
According to a new survey by researchers with the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) and the Election Resilience Lab, the vast majority of Marylanders are typically content with their experiences casting their vote. More than nine in 10 of respondents who voted on Election Day in the past recently said that they were very or somewhat satisfied with the process of casting their vote early and in person (93%), in person on Election Day itself (95%), or by mail (92%).
Respondents to the survey—conducted among 1,001 Maryland adults citizens between April 15-26, 2026—also positively reviewed the poll workers with whom they interacted: Only 1.5% of respondents said poll worker performance was poor, compared to the 57% who said that it was excellent, and 33% that it was good.
The buildings in which Marylanders cast their votes were also deemed either excellent or good by 87% of respondents.
The biggest overall complaint, which was still expressed by just 17% of respondents, was polling locations not having enough electronic voting machines. But, as is detailed in the survey report, the state moved away from using these machines during the 2016 election, and those that remain in polling locations are meant to primarily serve individuals with disabilities.
“The high levels of satisfaction with all forms of voting are remarkable,” said Michael Hanmer, CDCE director and a professor in the Department of Government and Politics. “There is always room for improvement, but voters and election officials should celebrate the fact that so many Marylanders of all political backgrounds say they are very satisfied with their experience voting in Maryland.”
Areas of possible improvement were identified when the researchers took a look at responses by race and age.
Overall, younger voters were harder to impress. More than those aged 35-54 (11%) and those aged 55 and up (7%), 24% of Maryland voters under the age of 35 said their voting building was just “fair.” Sixteen percent of voters aged 18-34 also said that wait times at their polling location were at least “somewhat unacceptable,” while only 10% of those in the 35-54 age range, and 5% of those aged 55 and up, said the same.
In addition, 39% of 18-34-year-olds rated poll worker performance on Election Day as excellent, less than the 51% of 35-54-year-olds, and 69% of people aged 55 or older, who ranked them similarly.
“Every election is different, but as we enter the 2026 election season I hope these findings provide a useful benchmark and guidance for election officials and policymakers,” said Hanmer.
When broken down by race, a larger percentage of Hispanic Marylanders (16%) and Black Marylanders (14%) rated the buildings as fair than did White Marylanders (8%). Hispanic voters were also more critical of wait times on Election Day, with 15% saying they were unacceptable. By comparison, only 10% of Black voters and 7% of White Election Day voters classified their Election Day wait times as such.
“Voters are giving policymakers useful information,” Alysoun McLaughlin, director of the Election Resilience Lab, wrote in a Substack post about the survey. “As Maryland considers the future of its election system, lawmakers should weigh those preferences alongside the infrastructure needed to support them.”
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Published on Tue, Jun 23, 2026 - 9:34AM