Turnout Surged on Final Day of Early Voting
Nearly 175,000 people cast ballots during early voting, which ended Thursday.
The last day of the eight-day window had the highest turnout, by far: 49,578, according to preliminary data from the Maryland State Board of Elections.
About 4.6% of all eligible active voters turned out during the early voting period.
The figure fell short compared to early voting numbers four years ago, when 222,100 people, or 6.17% of voters, cast ballots at early voting centers.
However, the popularity of mail-in ballots, which can be mailed or dropped at dropboxes, has dramatically increased since the last gubernatorial election.
As of Wednesday, the state had received 152,260 returned ballots.
More than 505,000 mail-in ballots have been requested this election, up from about 42,000 four years ago.
Voters can still request a mail-in ballot be sent to them by email through the state’s online request system until 11:59 p.m. Friday night.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before the July 19 primary date, or returned at dropboxes throughout the state. A list of dropbox locations is here.
The growing popularity of mail-in ballots, which aren’t counted until two days after Election Day, could mean that winners in a number of races won’t be clear on election night.
>> RELATED: In a Unique Summer Primary, When Can Marylanders Expect Election Results?
Election Day is Tuesday.
Voters can register to vote and vote in person between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voters can find their assigned polling place here.
To learn more about the candidates, see Maryland Matters’ election guide here.
Danielle E. Gaines
Contributor
Danielle Gaines worked for Maryland Matters from September 2018 to January 2024. She covered government and politics for Maryland Matters for two years before moving into an editing position, ultimately serving as editor-in-chief for nearly three years. Previously, she spent six years at The Frederick News-Post ― as the paper’s principal government and politics reporter for half that time, covering courts and legal affairs before that. She also reported for the now-defunct The Gazette of Politics and Business in Maryland and previously worked as a county government and education reporter at The Merced Sun-Star in California’s Central Valley.
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