WASHINGTON 鈥� From the Senate to the State House to your local school board, candidates are cramming your mailbox 鈥� and increasingly your inbox with campaign literature. That鈥檚 because Maryland鈥檚 primary election is coming up on June 26. And early voting starts as soon as June 14.
Here are some steps you should take if you plan on casting a ballot in Maryland next month.
Am I registered?
Marjorie Roher, the public information officer for the Montgomery County Board of Elections, said voters want to check to make sure they鈥檙e registered to vote. The deadline to register is June 5 by 9 p.m.
Roher said keep in mind, Maryland holds 鈥減arty primaries鈥� and that means you can only vote for members of your own party. If you鈥檙e unaffiliated, but want to vote for congressional or county candidates, for example, you鈥檝e got to register with a party. Roher said Montgomery County residents can do that online at .
Can I vote early?
Early voting starts June 14 and runs through June 21.
鈥淭his year we have 11 locations throughout the county instead of the 10 that we鈥檝e had in the past鈥� Roher said. No matter where you live in the county, you can go to any early voting center to cast your ballot, she said.
The county鈥檚 also adding a 鈥渨ait time dashboard鈥� on its website, so you can calculate how much time you need to vote.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e down in Silver Spring and you鈥檙e on your way home to Damascus, there鈥檚 four or five early voting centers you鈥檒l pass,鈥� she said. By checking the wait time, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to minimize the time it takes to vote,” she added.
Roher said early voting has become increasingly popular. 鈥淵ou can pick the time of day that鈥檚 most convenient to you. You can vote on a Sunday morning if you want to, it鈥檚 so easy鈥�, she said. 鈥淚t gives you the flexibility on when and where you vote.”
Are the voting systems secure?
With concerns about the integrity of elections and the security of the ballots, Roher explained that all machines in the state are optical scanners. While there is a 鈥減aper trail,鈥� you don鈥檛 get a copy of your vote. 鈥淵ou get a sticker that said you voted鈥� she said.
But how does the paper trail work?
鈥淭he ballot that is filled out and then fed into the optical scan machine drops from the optical scan machine into a secured and locked box that is then transported back to board of elections headquarters and is retabulated in the days following the election,鈥� Roher said.
She said the results that are reported on election night and the morning after include early voting and Election Day tabulations 鈥� they don鈥檛 include absentee and provisional ballots. Those are counted in the days following the election while an audit is conducted to verify the results. Only then are the results certified.
Can I take a selfie at the ballot?
One thing that election officials are increasingly reminding voters: Selfies aren鈥檛 allowed in the voting booth. Roher said 鈥淭here are no cameras permitted in the voting room,鈥� Rohe said. If an election judge sees you taking photos, they will ask you to stop, she added.
Roher said she knows many people may upload their selections to their cellphone or tablet, so they can use that while casting their ballot, but again, that鈥檚 not allowed.
Instead, she said, use the sample ballot mailed to you by the board of elections. 鈥淚t shows the ballot face for your specific ballot based on where you live.鈥� Roher said fill it out when it arrives to your home, and then carry it with you into the voting booth on Election Day. 鈥淒on鈥檛 rely on your cellphone on Election Day, bring in that sample ballot so you鈥檝e got it as your guide.鈥� That way, Roher said, you鈥檒l cut down on the time it takes to cast your ballot and have your say.
