Maryland Gets Ready to Vote in 2016 Presidential Election

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland voters will choose between Democratic Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump on Nov. 8, and also elect a United States senator to replace the retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, other members of Congress and state legislators. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day.

This year Maryland is using a new, paper-based, optical scan voting system. Voters will mark their selections with a pen on paper ballots prior to inserting them in the scanner for tabulation.

Early voting begins on Oct. 27, roughly two weeks ahead of the general election date for the 2016 general election. The highest-profile local race in November is for mayor of Baltimore. Sen. Catherine Pugh won the Democratic nomination in April, who has touted job creation as part of her platform.

"My message is about inclusion," Pugh said after her primary win, surrounded by government leaders and community activists, vowing to "focus on some of those neighborhoods and communities that we’ve left out" in Charm City.

She will face Republican Alan Walden, 80, in the general election. The former anchor on WBAL NewsRadio 1090, Walden announced in July that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and underwent surgery. Despite the health challenge, he said he will continue with the campaign.

All voters will weigh in on an amendment to the state constitution that changes the way the governor fills a vacancy of the attorney general or the comptroller and requires a special election for vacancies that occur on or before a certain date. Under current law, the governor fills a vacancy by appointing someone to serve for the remainder of the term. Under the amended law, if the vacating attorney general or comptroller was a member of a political party, the governor must fill the vacancy from a list of three names provided by the political party of the vacating official.

Here's how to use the voting machine, from Capital News Service:

Local ballots: There are also myriad local ballots that vary by city and county. Find all of those on the State Board of Elections website.

Early voting: Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday, Oct. 27, and runs through Thursday, Nov. 3. Polling places are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. those days. You can vote in an early voting center in the county where you live. See a list of the 2016 General early voting sites (PDF).

Register to vote: To register and vote during early voting, go to an early voting center and bring a document that proves where you live. This document can be your MVA-issued license, ID card, or change of address card, or your paycheck, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document with your name and new address. You will be able to register to vote and vote.

Make sure you update your registration prior to October 18, 2016, so you are ready to vote. You must be at least 18 years of age on or before November 8, 2016, to vote.

The ballots vary by county and can be viewed ahead of time on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Where to Vote, Ballot Preview

You can vote in an early voting center in the Maryland county where you live. See a list of early voting centers to be used in the 2016 Primary Election (PDF).

2016 General Precincts and Polling Places

• Precinct count by County (PDF)
• Precinct count by Congressional District (PDF)
• Precincts and Polling Places (PDF)
• Precincts and Polling Places (Excel)

The ballots vary by county and can be viewed ahead of time on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.

Besides voting for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, Maryland residents will select Congressional nominees, U.S. Senate candidates for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Congressional candidates, and delegates to the national political conventions, among other races.

To vote in Maryland, you must register to vote. Your local board of elections can answer questions on how and where to do that. Online Voter Registration also is available.

No sure where you go to cast your vote? Find your polling place here.

»Patch graphic