Politics & Government

Election 2018: Maryland Voting Guide

Here's what Maryland voters need to know about candidates, polling places, voting rights, and more ahead of Election Day.

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ANNAPOLIS, MD — While the 2018 midterm election campaign was among the hardest-fought in recent memory in many states — President Trump is criss-crossing the country to rally the GOP base while former President Obama has hit the campaign trail for Democrats — nothing that dramatic has happened in Maryland, where incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan is battling to win a second term and incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin is expected to score a victory. Hogan leads Democratic challenger and former NAACP president Ben Jealous by 18 percent, according to RealClear Politics polls, while Cardin has given up 12 points but still leads in his race by 27 percent.

Nor is much turnover expected in the legislature or Congressional delegation, given the strongly blue tradition of Maryland voters. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, voters will rule on two ballot items about gambling revenues for schools and same-day voter registration.

And voters will also make choices in county council races, for school board seats and other local contests.

Find out what's happening in Annapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Here's what you need to know about candidates, key races, polling places, and more ahead of Tuesday.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VOTING
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Maryland.

Find out what's happening in Annapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

What to bring

  • If you've voted in Maryland before, you don't need to provide ID to vote.
  • If you're a first-time voter who registered by mail, and didn't provide a copy of your Maryland driver's license, state or federal ID card, student, employee, or military ID, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address when you registered, you may need to show one of these documents to vote.
  • Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot. For your ballot to count, you must provide ID to your local board of elections before 10 am on the 2nd Wednesday after election day.

If you need a ride to the polls, here's how to get one.

If you encounter any difficulties while voting -- unusually long lines at the polling place, insufficient ballots, harassment or intimidation by overzealous advocates as you enter -- tell Patch about it and we'll investigate it with our nonprofit partners at ProPublica.

There are two Constitutional Amendments that will appear statewide on the election ballots. Additionally, local ballot questions may appear in certain counties. The state and local ballot question language is available here.

Sample Ballots

Curious about what your ballot will look like on Nov. 6? Check the links below for a glance at what you'll find inside the booth on Election Day. The county ballots are broken down by municipality and precinct.

You can find every county's ballot on the State Boad of Elections website.

Race for Governor, State Offices

In what is the marquis matchup in this year's election, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan hopes to become the first member of his party to win re-election as governor of Maryland in more than 50 years. Democrat Ben Jealous wants to make history as the state's first African-American governor.

Pundits give slim odds for upsets in two other statewide races. Attorney General Brian Frosh has lead over GOP challenger and political newcomer Craig Wolf — and the race has gotten tighter over the last few months.

Frosh, who was elected to the position in 2014 after a 28-year legislative career, has consistently pursued environmental protection issues, and has sued the federal government more than 20 times since the power of his office was expanded last year.

Wolf, who has been a federal, state and Army prosecutor and a CEO for Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, has focused his campaign on reducing crime in Maryland through increasing prosecution and strengthening the state's bail system.

A Gonzales Maryland Poll released in October put Wolf 9 percentage points behind Frosh, with Frosh at 43 percent of the vote, and Wolf at 34 percent, with 23 percent of respondents still undecided.

The incumbent, Peter V.R. Franchot, will win a fourth term in office if he is re-elected as state comptroller on Tuesday. Although he often finds himself at odds with establishment Democrats, he has suffered few political consequences for his estrangement from the status quo.

The only person to step up and challenge him for the comptroller's seat this election cycle is Republican candidate Anjali Reed Phukan, a 40-year-old Montgomery County native who lives in Ocean City, Maryland. Phukan, a certified public accountant, describes herself as expertly qualified to hold the office because of a career of over 20 years auditing federal and state government agencies and private sector businesses.

Races for Senate, Congress

Democrat U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin handily won his party's nomination for a third term over seven challengers. He faces Republican Tony Campbell, who teaches politics at Towson University and is focused on national security and smaller government. He said his top focus is "securing America's infrastructure against foreign actors."

A Gonzales Research poll released Oct. 6 showed Cardin with the support of 49 percent of likely voters, while Campbell had 22 percent support.

Congressional races:

You can find more information on these candidates, and third-party candidates seeking office, on the Ballotpedia website.

SEE ALSO:

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