Rockville's Vote-By-Mail Election: Meet The Candidates

ROCKVILLE, MD — Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 for Rockville residents. And this year, they won't have to wait in long lines to cast their vote.

Rockville has decided to conduct a vote-by-mail election for its mayor and four council members — which means people can vote from the comfort of their home. It's the first city in Maryland to try such a system.

Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on or before Friday, Oct. 11. City Hall (111 Maryland Ave.) must receive all ballots by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Postmarks do not count.

Residents can also drop off their ballots any time before the deadline at City Hall. The drop box is located in the upper parking lot.

SEE ALSO:

• How Rockville's Vote-By-Mail System Works

Mayoral Candidates

The two candidates for mayor are:

Bridget Donnell Newton

• Fast Facts: A 38-year resident of the city, Newtown is running for a third term. She was elected to the Rockville City Council in 2009 before serving as mayor in 2013. Newton is the council liaison to the Recreation and Park Advisory Board and Rockville Seniors, Inc., and sits on the board of directors for several organizations including the Maryland Municipal League and the Rockville Economic Development, Inc.

Virginia D. Onley

• Fast Facts: Onley moved to Rockville in 1993. And she is serving her second term on the Rockville City Council. Onley is the council liaison to the Human Rights Commission, Landlord Tenant Affairs Commission, Rockville Housing Enterprises, Rockville Sister City Corporation, and the Senior Citizens Commission.

Note: The mayor serves a four-year term.

City Council Candidates

The candidates for council are:

• Monique Ashton
• Beryl L. Feinberg
• Richard Gottfried
• Cynthia Cotte Griffiths
• James Hedrick
• Kuan Lee
• Charles Littlefield
• Donald A. Masters
• Brigitta Mullican
• David Myles
• Matthew Perkins
• Mark Pierzchala
• Suzan Pitman

Note: The four city council candidates with the most votes win. Council members serve four-year terms.

Candidate Debates

Rockville 11 will broadcast live several candidate forums hosted by community groups. Residents are invited to attend the events posted below:

• Wednesday, Oct. 2 (1:00-2:30 p.m.)
  • Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive
    • Presented by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce
• Tuesday, Oct. 15 (6:00-8:00 p.m.)
  • Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway
    • Presented by Twinbrook Village in association with Twinbrook Community Association

The debates will be broadcast live on channel 11 on county cable systems. Live streams are available at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville11. And past debates are available at www.youtube.com/cityofrockville.