When Does Early Voting Begin for Maryland's Presidential Primary 2016?

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland voters can cast ballots in roughly two weeks, ahead of the primary election date for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, and the Free State contest suddenly has new importance as candidate mayhem continues.

Maryland’s primary election will be held April 26; polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day.

Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday, April 14, and runs through Thursday, April 21. Polling places are open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. those days.

With Texas Sen. Ted Cruz scrambling to edge out New York businessman Donald Trump in a nasty contest that has sunk to the depths of name-calling and slurs against their opponent's wives, the GOP contest is a free-for-all.

On the Democrats side, conventional wisdom had the nomination sewn up for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' anti-establishment message continues to gain traction, especially with young voters. So a Maryland win for Clinton is seen as part of the key to putting the brakes on Sanders' momentum.

Last weekend, Sanders made it three for three on Saturday, rolling to a big win over Clinton in Hawaii after already winning in Washington and Alaska in their Democratic presidential caucuses.

To clinch the nomination, a candidate needs 2,383 delegates. Clinton had 1,234 pledged delegates, and Sanders had 97, reports The Associated Press.

With the exception of Michigan, victories for Sanders have come in small states with mostly white populations, and Democratic rules that deliver delegates proportionately mean he would have to not only win in several states now favoring Clinton but he would have to win convincingly.

Officials there expected at least as large of a turnout as they saw in 2008, when over 35,000 ballots were cast. Hawaii Democratic Party chairwoman Stephanie Ohigashi told the Associated Press the party saw a spike in membership online after the Republican caucus. Most of those new members are said to be Sanders supporters.

Crucial contests for Clinton are April 19 in New York, as well as primaries in Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island on April 26, says The Baltimore Sun.

Where to Vote, Ballot Preview

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

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.