City Election 2023

Residents of Mount Rainier are represented by a Council-Manager form of government, consisting of a Mayor and four Councilmembers. A ward system is used within the City to elect the Councilmembers, two from each ward. The Mayor is elected at large. Residents from either ward can run for the mayoral seat.

The terms for all Councilmembers and Mayor are for four years, except as to positions that become vacant mid-term, as to which the person assuming the seat serves for the remainder of the term of the vacated seat.

The regular term of the Mayor and Councilmembers begins at 8 pm on the second Monday in May following the General City Election and expires upon the seating of their successors.

Any registered voter qualified to vote in the City Elections may vote by Absentee Ballot. The request for an absentee ballot shall be made to the Board of Elections in writing.

Said application must be received no later than the Monday preceding the election, (Monday, April 24, 2023). The application must be signed by the applicant, or if he or she is unable to sign, must bear the mark of the applicant and the signature of two witnesses.

To be counted, the completed Absentee Ballot must be returned to the Board of Elections, appropriately signed, and sealed, by the close of the polls on Election Day, (May 1, 2023, at 8 pm), or, if mailed, postmarked on or before Election Day, and delivered no later than the close of business on the day following Election Day, (May 2, 2023, by 5 pm).

Application and General Information on Absentee Voting - English (PDF)

Aplicación e Información General Sobre La Votación En Ausencia Absentee Voting - Spanish (PDF)

The City's two Wards are assigned based on each voter's address in the agency voter registration records.

The voter's assigned Ward can be determined by using one of the following resources:

• Mount Rainier Ward Map (PDF)
• Email the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@mountrainiermd.org
• Call 301-985-6585 during the hours of 9 am and 5 pm

To vote in the City of Mount Rainier election, every person must meet ALL the following requirements:

1. Is at least sixteen years of age;
2. Is registered to vote in accordance with the provisions of the City Charter and applicable Charter Amendments; and
3. Has resided in the corporate limits of the City for at least thirty (30) days immediately preceding the next City election.

An individual is not eligible to be a registered voter of the City if the individual:

1. Has been convicted of a felony and is serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment for the conviction on Election Day;
2. Is under guardianship for mental disability and a court of competent jurisdiction has specifically found by clear and convincing evidence that the individual cannot communicate, with or without accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process; or
3. Has been convicted of buying or selling votes.

MRBOE members are certified Voter Registration Volunteers (Registrars) in the State of Maryland and can register City residents to vote. Residents may email their voter registration requests. Other ways to complete voter registration include:
For U.S. Citizens to register to vote in Federal, State, County, and City Elections:

1. Federal/State/County Registration
2. To complete a Voter Registration Form in person at the Prince George's County Board of Elections, please review the county's website for instructions. Registration by the Prince George's County Board of Elections shall be deemed registration for City elections. The Mount Rainier Board of Elections shall accept the list of registered voters provided by the Prince George's County Board of Elections as a valid registration list for the City.
3. Register by mail by returning a completed voter registration form to the Prince George's County Board of Elections, 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo, MD 20774, by Monday, April 3, 2023, by 4:30 pm. Voter registration forms may be acquired at City offices, or by calling Prince George's County Board of Elections to request a form by mail at 301-341-7300.
   For any Mount Rainier resident to be eligible to vote in the City Elections only:

Any resident of the City of Mount Rainier who is not eligible to vote in the State and County elections but meets the voter qualifications set forth in Section 502 of the City Charter and applicable Charter Amendments, may register with the Mount Rainier Board of Elections to vote in City elections.

Candidates may download the Candidate Packet 2023 (PDF) or request a packet from City Hall.

Please email the Mount Rainier Board of Elections or email the City Clerk.

The following is a list of requirements necessary to submit a petition for nomination. Each candidate must abide by the rules of the City Charter and Election Procedures as indicated below.

• Each candidate for Councilmember shall be a resident of the City for at least one year immediately preceding their election.
• Each candidate must be an eligible and registered voter of the state of Maryland.
• Each candidate must be at least eighteen years of age on the date on which he or she files for nomination.
• Each candidate for Councilmember shall reside in the ward for which he or she is filing to represent. If a Councilmember changes his or her primary place of residence from the ward from which the Councilmember was elected, the Councilmember's term shall be immediately terminated, and the vacancy shall be filled as provided in Section 513 of the City Charter.
• Submission of the following forms is required between February 10, 2023, through March 20, 2023, no later than 4 pm. Unless all requirements are met by 4 pm on March 20, the candidate's petition will not be accepted.
• Certification of Eligibility for Candidacy 2023
• Nomination Petition 2023 completed and signed by a minimum of twenty qualified voters for Councilmember. For Councilmember, each resident must reside within the ward in which the candidate resides and represents on the petition.
• Financial Disclosure Statement - Candidates (Reporting Period: January 1 through December 31, 2022)
• Preliminary Campaign Finance Statement
• Each candidate, or a designated representative, may attend the virtual session scheduled for 8 pm on March 20, 2023, during which the Board of Elections will finalize and confirm the candidate certification and present the order of the official ballot.