Early Voting Under Way in Rockville; Record Voter Turnout Expected

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Board of Elections is preparing for a record voter turnout for the presidential general election on Nov. 8, and election officials are urging residents to use early voting centers — which are open through Nov. 3 — to avoid long waits at the polls.

“We have almost 700,000 registered voters in Montgomery County,” said James Shalleck, president of the Board of Elections. “Early voting is essential to keep Election Day moving smooth. So we are hoping there is a big turnout for early voting so that the lines and whatever stress we have on Election Day is modified to say the least.”

Voters can cast their ballots early now to Nov. 3 at ten early voting sites across Montgomery County. The early voting centers have expanded operating hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., during the week of early voting. They are:

• The Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg
• Damascus Community Recreation Center, 25520 Oak Drive, Damascus
• Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville
• Germantown Community Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown
• Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase
• Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
• Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring
• Potomac Community Recreation Center, 11315 Falls Road, Potomac
• Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring
• Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, 2401 Arcola Avenue, Silver Spring

SEE ALSO: Can I Take a Selfie With My Maryland Ballot?

If you missed the voter registration deadline earlier this month, good news: You can still register to vote at an early voting site.

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

On the ballot, voters will decided national and local races: from the President of the United States to the local school board. Shalleck said he believes the term limits question will drive even more voters to the polls.

“The term limits vote I think is going to get a lot of interest from the voters,” said Shalleck.

According to Shalleck, the Silver Spring Civic Building has seen the highest early voting turnout in the state in previous elections. The Potomac Community Rec. Center had the second highest turnout in the county during the primary election, he said.

Residents are also asked to become familiar with the new, paper-based, digital image scan voting system before arriving at their polling place. Demonstration voting units will be available at the Montgomery County Board of Elections, 18753 N. Frederick Ave., Suite 210, in Gaithersburg; Tel: 240-777-8500; MD Relay: 1-800-735-2258.

Voters will now mark their selections with a pen on paper ballots prior to inserting them in the scanner for tabulation.

For more election information, call 240-777-VOTE, visit www.777vote.org, the Maryland State Board of Elections’ website at http://elections.state.md.us, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.

For more information about the upcoming election, visit the Board of Elections website, here.

—Story by Montgomery Community Media and Patch Editor Deb Belt