[Baltimore Sun] Make your plan to vote in Maryland’s primary election | STAFF COMMENTARY
Read Time:3 Minute, 37 Second
It’s easy to feel powerless in today’s complex world, but we’re not. Among the most important tools available to us to make change in our city, our county, our state and our country is through the ballot box. The moment for Marylanders to exercise that right is nearly upon us. The presidential primary election in Maryland is Tuesday, May 14, and those registered (or planning to register) as members of either the Republican or Democratic parties who wish to cast a vote should prepare now.
Maryland’s primary will have little impact at the top of the ticket. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have already garnered sufficient support to capture the Democratic and Republican nominations for president. But more is at stake in down-ballot decisions. This is an election year for Baltimore, and voters must choose a mayor, a City Council president and a council member from their districts. Mayor Brandon Scott and former Mayor Sheila Dixon are the leading candidates in the high-profile Democratic mayoral primary — the party’s nomination serving as the final winner in that race, given the city’s overwhelming Democratic majority — with Scott ahead by about 3 percentage points in a recent poll sponsored by The Baltimore Sun, the University of Baltimore and FOX45.
Meanwhile, three seats from Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives are open, made possible by the retirement of U.S. Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes, as well as U.S. Rep. David Trone’s decision to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin who is retiring from office. The big prize is Cardin’s position, given the rarity of an open Senate seat. The stakes are enormous: former Gov. Larry Hogan is a near-lock to be the Republican nominee and polls show him leading not only Trone in a theoretical matchup but the other leading Democratic challenger, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The outcome could tip the balance of power in the nearly evenly split U.S. Senate. The undecided would do well to consult The Baltimore Sun’s 2024 Voters Guide (https://bit.ly/sun-voter-guide) featuring questionnaire responses from dozens of candidates.
Keep in mind that polls are ephemeral. Same with campaign fundraising and spending. Only actual votes carry lasting consequences. And elections are often determined as much by people who choose to stay home as they are by those who go to the polls. Want your neighbor to make these crucial choices for you? Four years ago, just 42% of Maryland’s nearly 3.6 million registered voters participated in the primary election. The other 2 million or so could have easily reversed the outcome. Well, maybe they didn’t care. Or were too busy. Or simply didn’t know what to do.
Let’s at least address that latter point. Deadlines are approaching. The first is on April 23, which is the last day to register to vote online or through the mail. Haven’t done so yet? Go to the Maryland State Board of Elections website (https://bit.ly/elections-board) and follow the posted directions. Even if you miss that deadline, there are still options. Are you registered to vote but busy on May 14? Early voting runs from May 2 to May 9 at special voting centers. And you have until May 7 to request a mail-in ballot (May 10 if you are willing to receive it by email and print it at home). You then have until May 14 to return it by mail or by hand.
That makes May 14 merely the final day to vote, and polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Not sure where to go? The elections board has an online searchable database (https://bit.ly/polling-spots) for that as well. Even those who aren’t registered can do so on primary election day in Maryland (but you’ll have to document, among other things, that you live where you live). Now, go get busy — and, better yet — recruit another. Nothing defeats the feeling of powerlessness quite like voting.
Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0