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May 9, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

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More Than Half of Md.’s Voters Have Already Cast Ballots

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Just over 2 million ballots had been cast in Maryland by Sunday morning, according to data from the State Board of Elections, meaning roughly half of the state’s 4.1 million electorate has voted so far.

A total of 780,635 Marylanders had voted early after polls closed on Saturday night, according to state data. Combined with the 1,234,806 mail-in ballots returned to local boards of elections so far, 2.015 million ballots have been cast in the state so far.

And by 4 p.m. Sunday, state election officials reported that an additional 55,839 early votes had come in. That would mean that more than half of Maryland’s 4.1 million eligible active voters have cast their ballots so far, without even including provisional ballots.

In 2016, there were 876,843 early votes cast in the state. With more than 830,000 early votes cast by 4 p.m. on Sunday, and with an entire day of early voting left until Election Day, it’s possible that 2020’s early voting count will eclipse early voting in the 2016 presidential election.

Although Marylanders have turned out in record-breaking numbers to vote early, Saturday saw a significant drop in the amount of ballots cast at early voting centers. Not including provisional ballots, 70,707 Marylanders turned out to vote early on Saturday. By comparison, more than 152,000 turned out on the first day of early voting – not including provisional ballots.

With provisional ballots included, more than 161,000 turned out to the polls on the first day of early voting. That broke a single-day early voting turnout record in the state, according to election officials.

Montgomery County Election Officials put out calls for more voters on social media Sunday, reporting that there were “zero lines and zero wait” at the Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville.

Today is the final day of early voting in Maryland. The state’s 81 early voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be more than 300 in-person voting centers open throughout Maryland on Tuesday, Election Day. The centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can report to any voting center in the county where they live.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Maryland Breaks State Record for Single-Day Early Voting Turnout

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More than 161,000 Marylanders cast their ballots during the first day of early voting, according to the State Board of Elections, setting what is believed to be a single-day record for early voting in the state.

The total surpassed the previous unofficial single-day early voting record of 143,494 set on the final day of early voting in the 2016 general election.

“We’re extremely pleased that Marylanders are turning out in record numbers to exercise their right to vote,” said Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone. “Today’s record-setting total is in addition to the more than 1.6 million voters who requested a mail-in ballot and the roughly 830,000 who have already submitted them. We are equally pleased that nearly 1,000 people took advantage of same-day registration today in order to cast their ballots.”

By comparison, the 2016 election saw 123,623 voters on the first day of early voting, according to data from the State Board of Elections.

After Day 1 of Early Voting, More Than 1.1 Million Marylanders Have Cast Ballots

With Monday’s 161,000-plus votes combined with the 947,941 mail-in ballots returned so far, more than 1.1 million Marylanders already have voted in the presidential general election.

Voters waited for hours in lines at early voting centers across the state, with many lining up well before the state’s 81 early voting centers opened at 7 a.m. Monday morning. Some told Maryland Matters that worries over Postal Service delays and national rhetoric about mail-in ballots led them to vote in person.

The 2016 General Election saw a total turnout of just over 2.8 million voters. That figure includes Election Day, early voting, mail-in and provisional ballots. Advocates expect longer lines and even more voters at early voting centers going forward.

“We should expect even longer lines as we get closer to Election Day,” Common Cause Maryland Executive Director Joanne Antoine said on Monday.

Early voting will continue until Nov. 2. Voters can head to any early voting center in their jurisdiction. Those centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and will remain open as regular in-person voting centers on Election Day.

During the eight days of early voting, eligible voters may cast their ballots at any authorized early voting center in their jurisdiction of residence. A complete list of early voting centers is available here. Voters may also search here for early voting centers, Election Day voting centers and ballot drop box locations in their area simply by including their zip code.

For voters who missed the advance voter registration deadline, same-day registration will be available at early voting and Election Day vote centers. To prove their place of residence, Marylanders registering in person during early voting or on Election Day will need to bring their Motor Vehicle Administration-issued driver’s license, identification card or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that includes the voter’s name and new address.

“We encourage Marylanders who would like to vote in person to continue to take advantage of early voting,” Lamone said. “While many Marylanders have, and continue to, cast their votes using mail-in ballots, voting early is one way to reduce lines and limit wait times at vote centers. The best time to vote in person is on a weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.”

Voters who have already requested a ballot should vote the ballot they receive in the mail. Voters simply complete the ballot, sign the oath on the postage-paid return envelope that accompanies the ballot, seal the envelope and submit it by mail or at an approved ballot drop box location.

Voters may not “trade in” their mail-in ballot during early voting or on Election Day, nor can they scan their mail-in ballot at an in-person vote center. If a voter has already requested or received a mail-in ballot and wants to vote early, the voter will have to cast a provisional ballot. This ballot will be held until election officials confirm the voter did not also return a mail-in ballot. This process ensures only one ballot per voter is counted.

Voters may drop off a mail-in ballot at an early voting center, but the ballot must be properly sealed in the return envelope that accompanied the mail-in ballot. Voters must sign the oath on the return envelope in order for the ballot to be counted.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Maryland In-Person Early Voting Begins Monday

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The Maryland State Board of Elections reminds voters seeking to cast their ballots in person that early voting begins Monday, Oct. 26, and runs for eight consecutive days, including Saturday and Sunday. Early voting in Maryland concludes on Monday, Nov. 2, the day prior to Election Day.

Eligible voters may cast their ballots at any authorized early voting center in their jurisdiction of residence. A complete list of early voting centers is available here. Voters may also search here for early voting centers, Election Day voting centers and ballot drop box locations in their area simply by including their zip code.

For voters who missed the advance voter registration deadline, same-day registration will be available at early voting and Election Day vote centers. To prove their place of residence, Marylanders registering in person during early voting or on Election Day will need to bring their Motor Vehicle Administration-issued driver’s license, identification card or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that includes the voter’s name and new address.

“We encourage Marylanders who would like to vote in person to take advantage of early voting,” said Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone. “While many Marylanders have, and continue to, cast their votes using mail-in ballots, voting early is one way to reduce lines and limit wait times at vote centers. The best time to vote in person is on a weekday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.”

Voters who have already requested a ballot should vote the ballot they receive in the mail. Voters simply complete the ballot, sign the oath on the postage-paid return envelope that accompanies the ballot, seal the envelope and submit it by mail or at an approved ballot drop box location.

Voters may not “trade in” their mail-in ballot during early voting or on Election Day, nor can they scan their mail-in ballot at an in-person vote center. If a voter has already requested or received a mail-in ballot and wants to vote early, the voter will have to cast a provisional ballot. This ballot will be held until election officials confirm the voter did not also return a mail-in ballot. This process ensures only one ballot per voter is counted.

Voters may drop off a mail-in ballot at an early voting center, but the ballot must be properly sealed in the return envelope that accompanied the mail-in ballot. Voters must sign the oath on the return envelope in order for the ballot to be counted.

As a reminder, early voting centers and Election Day vote centers will be following approved health guidelines. Voters must wear a mask and maintain a distance of at least six feet between other individuals.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Md. Elections Officials Say They’re Ready to ‘Rock and Roll’

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With less than a month until the Nov. 3 election, state election officials say they are ready to “rock and roll” as preparations wrap up.

The last of Maryland’s roughly 19 million ballots for in-person voting will arrive at local boards of elections across the state on Friday, Deputy Election Administrator Nikki Charlson told members of the State Board of Elections during a virtual meeting on Thursday. Mail-in ballots are being delivered to voters on a rolling basis, with more than 1.3 million requested as of Wednesday.

“We’re at the endgame,” State Board Chairman Michael R. Cogan (R) said.

Board members approved a last-minute regulatory change during the meeting, allowing voters with mail-in ballots to turn them in at early voting centers. Voters who get mail-in ballots can now submit ballots at in-person Election Day and early voting centers, return them by mail or drop them off at ballot boxes across the state.

Charlson said voters don’t have to use a ballot box in their home jurisdiction, and can submit their ballot at any of the roughly 280 boxes scattered across the state. She said local boards will make sure every ballot gets to the right place after they’re collected.

The State Board of Elections won’t meet again until after the election — and board members used their final meeting to laud state and local election staff for their work in setting up the election.

Many local boards of elections faced major obstacles in preparing for the election. In addition to dealing with thousands of vacant poll worker positions, local election officials had to scramble to find locations for the state’s more than 300 voting centers with little notice after state officials shifted away from regular polling locations.

“I’m about as confident as you can get that this train is loaded up, and will arrive at its destination on time,” Board Vice Chairman Patrick J. Hogan (D) said.

Cogan said the election is now in the hands of local election workers, and invoked a famous photograph of General Dwight D. Eisenhower speaking with paratroopers just before the invasion of Normandy in World War II before addressing election staff across the state.

“In any struggle, and this is a struggle between people and process, but in any struggle the side that prevails is the side that refuses to yield,” Cogan said, “That, when exhausted, keeps going.”

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Elections Officials Believe They Have Enough Judges Lined Up to Staff Polling Places

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Maryland’s local boards of elections now have enough election judges to staff Election Day voting centers, but state officials say the search for new judges is far from over.

A surge of state workers, coupled with a need for fewer election judges after the switch to voting centers, means local boards of elections now have enough staff for the Nov. 3 election, Deputy Elections Administrator Nikki Charlson said during a Friday afternoon State Board of Elections meeting.

Local election boards faced thousands of vacant positions after Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) last month ordered a more conventional election for the fall. The prospect of opening every polling center during a global pandemic left election officials scrambling to recruit election judges, and looking to consolidate polling centers due to the lack of staff.

After Hogan approved a switch from thousands of precinct-level polling centers to roughly 370 larger voting centers, and efforts to incentivize state workers to sign up as judges, local boards now say they’re well staffed.

But Charlson said local election officials are now looking to “build up their bench” with extra election judges, in case of a second wave of COVID-19 hits the state or there is a sudden need for additional workers. State Board Chairman Michael C. Cogan (R) urged voters to continue signing up to be election judges as the November election approaches.

Some counties are looking for judges from specific political parties. Allegany County is looking for Democratic election judges, while Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Talbot counties want more Republican judges. Montgomery County is also looking for Spanish-speaking judges.

Board members approved a slew of local boards’ proposals for voting centers. Roughly 255 voting centers and nearly 70 early voting locations were approved during Friday’s meeting, with a majority of Maryland’s counties submitting their plans for November. Frederick County and Baltimore City are among the few jurisdictions that haven’t submitted a plan yet.

While many counties intend to use high schools and community centers as voting centers, some are using athletic arenas: Prince George’s county intends to use the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center on Election Day.

Concerns over ballot applications

Board Member Malcolm L. Funn (D) said he recently received a mailed ballot application, despite already having applied online. Board members previously said voters who apply for a ballot online won’t receive an application in the mail.

Erin Perrone, the director of the state board’s election management and reform division, said some voters who apply online for a mail-in ballot will still receive an application in the mail. State election officials gave applications data to their printing vendor on Aug. 6 — and voters who applied after that date, or whose applications weren’t processed by that date, will receive an application in the mail.

Funn said he applied around July 20, but Perrone noted that his application wasn’t processed until Aug. 15.

Some who received applications despite applying online were outraged, including Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery), who slammed the unneeded mailings as “an extra step, and an extra burden, and extra money that’s spent.”

Kagan and her staff went through the state’s online ballot application process on July 29, but still received applications in the mail Thursday.

Perrone noted that voters might not need to resend the mailed application form, and can check their application status via the state’s online voter lookup system. Roughly 378,200 Marylanders have requested mail-in ballots so far, with nearly 4 million voters expected to receive mailed application forms in the coming days.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.