Maryland
Early mail-in ballot counting helped call some Maryland primary races sooner
Early mail-in ballot canvassing became an official mainstay in Maryland in 2024, helping elections officials to produce quick results in tight races on the night of the primary in contests for Baltimore mayor and U.S. Senate.
By Tuesday — the day of the primary — 146,840 mail-in ballots had already been counted across the state, data from the Maryland State Board of Elections showed.
That counting was made possible by legislation passed by state officials in 2023 to help local boards of elections more quickly process the increasing number of mail-in ballots.
For some races, that speed paid dividends.
On the night of the primary, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks defeated U.S. Rep. David Trone, a multimillionaire who injected more than $60 million of his own money into his campaign to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin.
Her victory came after polls earlier in the campaign, including one conducted for The Baltimore Sun, University of Maryland and FOX45, showed Trone with an advantage. Instead, Alsobrooks took a 10% lead over Trone as returns came in Tuesday.
Primary night vote counts included returns from the state’s eight-day early voting period, primary day itself and mail-in ballots canvassed ahead of Tuesday. About 463,000 of the now 576,896 Democratic ballots tallied in the Senate race were processed by primary night, state data shows.
In Baltimore, a call in the mayoral race this year came considerably faster than it did in 2020 when Brandon Scott did not become the clear winner until a full week after the Democratic primary. Chief rival Sheila Dixon further extended the race that year, waiting an additional five days to concede.
In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic forced the state to hold its first election mostly by mail. Just 3,913 voters cast ballots in person, leaving the city with 156,164 mail-in ballots to count — a process that took many days.
This year, more than 32,500 voters cast mail-in ballots in Baltimore, about 95% of them from Democratic voters. Canvassing began in April and the Baltimore Board of Elections had 11,781 mail-in ballots counted by primary day.
Scott opened up a sizable gap between himself and challenger Sheila Dixon on primary night — about 6,500 votes more than the former mayor. It was enough for The Associated Press to call the race at 11:24 p.m. Tuesday, and Scott declared victory minutes later.
Scott’s lead held Thursday as elections staff got to work counting many of the remaining mail-in ballots. With more than 14,800 new ballots tallied, Scott’s margin expanded to almost 8,900. Of the 79,159 votes counted in the race so far, about 80% were counted by primary night. At least 3,000 mail-in ballots have yet to be counted, and about 6,300 provisional ballots must still be considered.
Dixon conceded the mayoral race Friday.
Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs, said the early jump election officials got on ballot counting and the unexpectedly large margins for some candidates contributed to earlier results this cycle.
“It was always going to be a learning curve,” he said of Maryland’s implementation of widespread mail-in voting. “It feels like they’re getting better at it, and they’re going to get better at it each time.”
Hartley said most election watchers did not anticipate the U.S. Senate or mayoral race to be called primary night. But Scott opened a gap that Dixon was unlikely to close. She would have needed to win 60% to 70% of the remaining mail-in ballots, Hartley said.
“With Alsobrooks, it was like, wow, this is really over,” Hartley said. “But if it had been reasonably close, we would still be parked at the Board of Elections waiting for votes to come out.”
Some races, however, will always be too close to call on election night, Hartley cautioned. That was the case with several hotly contested races for the Baltimore City Council. Even after Thursday’s count, several remained undecided. Top candidates for the city’s District 11 in South Baltimore and District 8 in West Baltimore were separated by fewer than 150 votes.
Baltimore’s election board opted to pause ballot counting Friday and through the weekend. The process will resume Monday. Provisional ballots will be considered Wednesday.
The 2024 primary marked the first year that elections officials were able to canvass mail-in votes ahead of Election Day on a nonemergency basis.
In 2020, when mail-in balloting was adopted in large numbers during the pandemic, then-Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order to allow local election boards to count on an emergency basis.
The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation in 2022 to make early canvassing a regular part of the election process beyond the pandemic. Hogan, a Republican, vetoed the bill, but some jurisdictions were able to start counting general election mail-in ballots before Election Day following a court ruling.
The bill was reintroduced and passed in 2023. Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed it into law, officially moving the start of the mail-in canvass across the state from two days after an election to up to eight days before the start of early voting.
Several local boards, including those in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Carroll and Harford counties began counting on the earliest possible day allowed under the new law.
As of Friday night, approximately 377,000 mail-in ballots were received of the more than 595,000 sent. Nearly 65% of received ballots have been counted, thus far.
Requests for mail-in ballots during the 2022 election reached over 642,000 — the highest in state history. In an interview with The Sun earlier this month, Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s elections administrator, said he anticipates requests for the general election in November will break that record.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing
24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 9-4-0
Evening: 9-3-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 8-3-0-6
Evening: 7-2-1-2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 5-3-8-8-7
Evening: 6-7-3-8-9
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing
9 a.m.: 03
1 p.m.: 14
6 p.m.: 10
11 p.m.: 08
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from April 18 drawing
06-20-33-34-36, Bonus: 11
Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing
02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.
Claiming by Mail
Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.
Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less
Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:
- Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
- MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
- Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
- Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
- Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
- Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.
When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
- Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
- Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Buzz Williams has brought the number of new players joining the Maryland Terrapins next season to eight.
The Terps have the nation’s No. 8 freshmen recruiting class, consisting of four players including five-star small forward Baba Oladotun. Now, they have just as many transfer portal additions.
Their latest acquisition is forward Maban Jabriel, who previously spent two years with Queens University of Charlotte, a member of the ASUN.
Jabriel announced his commitment to Maryland on his Instagram account:
During his sophomore campaign with the Royals, Jabriel played in all 35 games, mainly off the bench, and averaged 7.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 19.8 minutes.
Shooting is Jabriel’s greatest strength. At 6’9″, he has the size to win battles close to the basket, but the Waterloo, Ontario native can score from all over the court.
Jabriel shot 49.5% from the field, 43.2% from deep, and 77.4% at the free throw line last season. The Terps can certainly use the help after being the worst shooting team (40.7% overall) not just in the Big Ten, but across all the Power conferences.
The rest of Maryland’s transfer class looks like this:
- Tomislav Buljan – power forward who averaged 13.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists for New Mexico last season.
- Robert Jennings II – power forward who averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists for Oklahoma State in 2024-25 (injured most of last season).
- Bishop Boswell – combo guard who averaged 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for Tennessee last season.
Put together, the Terps currently have the No. 4 incoming crop of players, according to 247 Sports. That figure was as high as No. 1 this offseason and could rise back up with additional moves.
Maryland is confirmed to be keeping at least three players from last season: Rakease Passmore, who redshirted due to injury, along with Andre Mills and George Turkson Jr.
Pharrel Payne also wishes to return but is waiting for his medical hardship waiver to be approved by the NCAA.
That leaves Buzz with three scholarship spots to fill – either with more transfers or the undecided members of last year’s team, Myles Rice and Guillermo Del Pino.
Players only have until this Tuesday, April 21 to enter the portal, so a decision for both Rice and Del Pino will be made soon.
Maryland On SI will continue to cover the Terps’ transfer portal transactions as they occur.
More from Maryland On SI
Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI and follow us on Twitter.
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Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 17 drawing
38-43-44-49-62, Mega Ball: 08
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 2-2-6
Evening: 5-7-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 6-8-3-7
Evening: 4-4-9-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 17 drawing
Midday: 0-3-7-6-8
Evening: 1-5-3-9-6
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 17 drawing
9 a.m.: 04
1 p.m.: 07
6 p.m.: 07
11 p.m.: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from April 17 drawing
08-15-17-26-28, Bonus: 19
Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.
Claiming by Mail
Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.
Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less
Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:
- Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
- MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
- Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
- Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
- Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
- Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.
When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
- Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
- Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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