Montgomery County Election Results 2016: Clinton, Van Hollen Chalk Up Big Wins

UPDATED at 11 p.m. SILVER SPRING, MD — Voters across Montgomery County turned out, possibly in record numbers Tuesday, Nov. 8, putting the state of Maryland in the win column for Democrat Hillary Clinton, and sending Democrat Chris Van Hollen to the U.S. Senator for the state.

Clinton tallied 279,291 votes in Montgomery County to 71,008 votes for Republican Donald Trump.

According to the State Board of Elections website, Van Hollen received 1,251,296 votes, for 62.2 percent, compared with 694,635 votes for Szeliga, or 34.5 percent, statewide. In Montgomery County, the Democrat had 277,428 votes to 78,578 votes for Szeliga, according to the unofficial totals.

"I want to thank you for uniting behind the common purpose," Van Hollen said in his acceptance speech, expressing his gratitude to voters. He said his vision was for every Marylander to be "treated with dignity and with respect."

He saluted county executives from Prince George's, Montgomery and Baltimore counties and thanked Comptroller Peter Franchot and Attorney General Brian Frosh, who were in attendance, and said he hoped to "try to bring common sense to the Capitol."

Montgomery County Ballot Issues

Voters in Montgomery County decided three ballot questions, including one prompted by a petition calling for county council term limits, which was approved 144,055 or 68.3 percent to 57,700 votes or 31.7 percent. The vote means that the county executive and County Council members will be limited to serving three consecutive terms. In Montgomery County, the terms last for four years; the current term ends in 2018.

County Executive Isiah Leggett would be affected if the referendum passes; however, he has said he plans to retire.

This amendment could also change the composition of the County Council for the next term, opening up seats to nearly half of the nine-member body. Four council members would be barred from seeking another term; another council member who began on a partial term could also be barred from seeking re-election, reports WTOP.

In response to the petition, the County Council placed a charter amendment on the ballot, Question C, that clarifies what constitutes a full term for County Council and county executive. As written, Question B treats a partial term like a full term. Question C was approved by 79 percent, meaning a partial term could only count as a full term if a person served for at least half the time.

Meanwhile Maryland elections administrator Linda Lamone says overall voter turnout in the state has been "extraordinary," and could surpass the 81 percent record level set in the 1992 presidential election. Lamone said Tuesday that the board of elections is projecting turnout to be 80 percent or higher, reports FOX DC.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections said some scanners malfunctioned at about a dozen precincts on Tuesday morning. Spokeswoman Marjorie Roher said workers went to every site to fix the problems; as of 1:30 p.m., she said there were no problems with the scanners.

In the race for Congressional District 3, Democrat John Sarbanes easily won the county with 33,639 votes to 11,706 for Republican Mark Plaster.

»Check back here after polls close and we'll be posting election results as they come in.

Some voters at Rachel Carson Elementary School said lines backed up there around 11 a.m. because of a scanner problem, while a Gaithersburg voter said he waited in line for 45 minutes because of the scanner issue.

Roher said each precinct has two scanners so voting can continue if one goes down.

State Sen. Cheryl Kagan, who represents Rockville and Gaithersburg, tweeted about 11:30 a.m.: "Unreasonably long lines in @Rockville411's precinct 4-6. There's only 1 scanner in use! Help?"

Attorney General Brian Frosh told a reporter at his polling place in Bethesda that there have been no problems reported so far, even where there are lines. "It's smooth. There are a lot of people voting and it's slow, so there are waits at a number of different precincts and that's upset some folks, but overall that's a good thing for democracy."

He said early voting has helped take the burden off polling sites on Election Day, both in Maryland and across the country.

Residents who stopped at their neighborhood polling places at 6:30 Tuesday morning to vote on their way to work reported lines of 30 minutes or more. A North Potomac resident said on Twitter that it took him 29 minutes from the time doors opened to the time his ballot was scanned, while a voter at Greenwood School said about 150 people were in line at 7:15 a.m.

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

»SEE ALSO:

• Election Day Perks in Maryland: Free Zipcars, $1 Beer, Complimentary Coffee
• How to Get Notified Instantly From Patch With Presidential Election Results
• How to Report Election Fraud, Voter Rights Abuses in Maryland
• Maryland Senate Race: Democrat Chris Van Hollen vs. Del. Kathy Szeliga

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)

US Senate Race

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Kensington, faces GOP Delegate Kathy Szeliga to fill the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Van Hollen, elected to Congress in 2002, represents the Eighth District, made up of much of Montgomery County, along with Westminster and Eldersburg.

A late September Goucher Poll showed 54 percent of those polled supported Van Hollen, 24 percent backed Szeliga, 2 percent indicated they are voting for Green Party candidate Margaret Flowers and 19 percent remained undecided.

Trump vs. Clinton

While Maryland is seen as a Hillary Clinton win even before all the votes are in, GOP nominee Donald Trump drew big crowds at a couple of rallies during the campaign in the state. But being a Trump supporter in the liberal enclaves of Montgomery County isn't easy, according to a Capital News Service story.

Trump supporters are a rare breed in Maryland, especially in Democratic strongholds like Chevy Chase, but they do exist. Most would prefer that their neighbors not know which candidate they back. And, they say, for good reason.

“I respect other people’s political views,” Molly Morris of Chevy Chase said, “but the kindest reaction I get to my own is, ‘I know you’re a Republican and you’re voting for Trump, but I still like you.’”

In the affluent suburbs of Washington where Democrats dominate — 98 percent of presidential campaign donations in Chevy Chase have gone to Clinton, a CNS analysis found — Trump supporters like Morris say they feel isolated and even persecuted.

“I could never put a Trump sign in my yard because I fear the hostility that Hillary supporters have for him,” Morris explained. “It’s raw. I thought about it, but we are on a major road and I thought somebody might do something to our house. I didn’t want to risk it. I would, if I felt safe.”

A Potomac man — who donated to the New York businessman's campaign and asked not to be named — said he wouldn’t even let his friends know who he’s voting for.

Potomac mirrors Chevy Chase in both its wealth and reputation as home for the D.C. elite, and Clinton raked in 96 percent of political donations there.

“Would I put up a yard sign?” the man asked. “Absolutely not!”

Sample Ballots Mailed to Voters

The Montgomery County Board of Elections recently mailed registered voters a personalized sample ballot, along with all of the information you will need to vote in the 2016 presidential election, depending on which political party you are registered with and where you live. Don’t mistake it for junk mail - the sample ballot is an 8 ½ x 11 booklet and has information on early voting locations on the front cover and your Election Day polling place on the back cover.

Review your sample ballot carefully for the following information:

• The location of your assigned polling place on Election Day, Nov. 8
• Instructions on how to use the new paper based, digital image scan voting system
• Directions on how to review your choices prior to casting a ballot
• Pictures of the actual ballot

For more information, call 240-777-VOTE or visit the 777 VOTE website, our mobile-friendly website, the Maryland State Board of Elections website, or follow the Montgomery County Board of Elections on Facebook or Twitter.

Montgomery County Questions

Voters in Montgomery County have three ballot questions to decide, including one prompted by a petition calling for county council term limits.

If voters approve Question B, the county executive and County Council members would be limited to serving three consecutive terms. In Montgomery County, the terms last for four years; the current term ends in 2018. County Executive Isiah Leggett would be affected if the referendum passes; however, he has said he plans to retire.

This amendment could also change the composition of the County Council for the next term, opening up seats to nearly half of the nine-member body. Four council members would be barred from seeking another term; another council member who began on a partial term could also be barred from seeking re-election, reports WTOP.

In response to the petition, the County Council has placed a charter amendment on the ballot, Question C, that clarifies what constitutes a full term for County Council and county executive. As written, Question B treats a partial term like a full term. If Question C is passed, a partial term could only count as a full term if a person served for at least half the time.

Here’s how the questions will appear on the ballot:

QUESTION B

Charter Amendment by Petition

Term Limits — County Council and County Executive

Amend Sections 105 and 202 of the County Charter to:

–limit the County Executive and members of the County Council to 3 consecutive terms in office;

–provide that a County Executive and any member of the County Council who will have served 3 or more consecutive terms on December 3, 2018, cannot serve another successive term in the same office; and

—provide that service of a term includes complete service of a full term and partial service of a full term.

For

Against

QUESTION C

Charter Amendment by Act of County Council

Term of Office — County Council and County Executive — Partial Service of a Full Term

Amend Sections 105 and 202 of the County Charter to provide that partial service of a full term for either a Councilmember or the County Executive means service of more than two years of a term.

For

Against

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

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.