How To Vote In Prince George's: In-Person, Mail Options Explained

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Americans will elect the next president in 46 days. While that may seem far away, Prince George's officials remind voters that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will complicate this election. The county urges residents to quickly decide how they will vote to assure their ballot is counted.

Marylanders have four voting options during this year's general election. Voters can avoid crowds by mailing an absentee ballot or dropping it off at a secured box. If residents prefer in-person voting, they can vote early or head to the polls on Election Day.

These choices are slightly different than they were for the state's primary. Because coronavirus was spreading faster ahead of the June 2 election, every registered Marylander received a usable ballot in the mail. Critics of the primary point to long lines at the few open precincts and delays in the election's results.

Gov. Larry Hogan's latest orders prevented universal ballot mailing this time around. He instead required the state Board of Elections to send every Maryland voter an absentee ballot application.

The board started mailing the request forms to all registered voters on Aug. 24. Hogan pushed for an earlier delivery date, but creating the applications and stuffing the envelopes for Maryland's 4 million voters took weeks, the board says. All Maryland voters should have their absentee application by now.

Even with mass mailing, Hogan says state law requires the Board of Elections to keep at least some polls open. He previously insisted that all the state's polling locations remain open on Election Day.

Hogan conceded in August, however, allowing the Board of Elections to operate about 20 percent of its usual 1,900 voting locations. That means that only 41 of Prince George's County's polls will be open on Nov. 3. County Executive Angela Alsobrooks cheered the move, as she had previously asked Hogan to allow fewer precincts to open to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Alsobrooks still encourages residents to vote by mail. To speed up that process, the county Board of Elections asks interested voters to apply for an absentee ballot as soon as possible.

Prince George's County's deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot isn't until Oct. 20, but waiting until then could cause serious delays. This year's primary election saw the highest voter turnout since 2008, so Alsobrooks expects a comparable swath of voters around Nov. 3.

On top of battling a potential wave of absentee requests, the county struggled to recruit election judges. Alsobrooks says the majority of the county's 3,500 polling workers are seniors, who are most vulnerable to coronavirus. Many of these employees are scared or unwilling to work the Nov. 3 election, leaving Prince George's County in a pinch for staffers.

Hogan intervened on Aug. 26, urging Marylanders to sign up as election judges. His efforts raked in about 11,000 potential staffers to relive the state's aging workforce.

People aged 60 and up account for 17 percent of the county's 28,737 coronavirus cases. The same age group comprises 79 percent of the 807 virus- related deaths in Prince George's County.

To avoid spreading the virus, Alsobrooks recently got approval from the Washington Football Team to use FedExField as a massive voting center on Election Day. The size of the facility will allow voters to spread out at safer distances.

A total of 41 voting centers will be open on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Masks are required for all in-person voting.

Residents who want to vote ahead can visit one of 11 early voting sites. These locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. For locals who prefer casting their ballot in person, health officials recommend voting early because Election Day may have larger crowds.

Voters' final option is to drop their absentee ballot in a one of 42 secured boxes. The drop boxes provide a quicker alternative to waiting in line at polls.

Every voting location will have a drop box, as will the county's Board of Elections office in Largo. The ballot drop-offs will remain open until polls close on Election Day.

A total of 22 boxes will open between Sept. 28 and Sept. 30. The other 20 will open between Oct. 15 and Oct. 17. These drop boxes will remain open until polls close on Nov. 3.

Key Dates And Information

The state started mailing out absentee ballot applications on Aug. 24. All registered Marylanders should have that form by now. Prince George's County voters can also request their mail-in ballot at this link.

Those interested in voting absentee must apply before Oct. 20. They can drop their ballot at one of 27 secured boxes starting Sept. 30. An additional 14 boxes will open on Oct. 17. If they return their ballot by mail, it must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

Residents must register to vote before Oct. 13. If they miss the deadline, they can register at one of the polling centers on Election Day. To find out if you're already registered to vote, head to the state board of elections website.

Early voting will take place at seven sites from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. A total of 41 polls will be open on Nov. 3 during the same hours.

More information on these dates, applications and locations is available here.

If you have problems voting or have additional questions, the national, non-partisan Election Protection hotline is available at:

• English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
• Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682)
• Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US (1-844-925-5287)
• Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683

RELATED:

• Tell Patch If You See Election Shenanigans In Prince George's
• In-Person Voting Concerns County Executive, Urges Mail-In Ballots

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.