[Baltimore Sun] Early voting begins in Maryland primary; high-profile races include Baltimore mayor, US Senate
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Early voting in the races for the U.S. Senate, Baltimore mayor, the U.S. House and more kicked off Thursday with thousands of voters getting a jump-start ahead of the May 14 primary day.
“Everything is running smoothly so far. We’re going to keep our fingers crossed,” said Scherod Barnes, president of the Baltimore City Board of Elections, as voters trickled into an early voting site at the League for People with Disabilities in Northwood.
Barnes described the initial turnout as slow, with 328 people having voted in the first two hours across the city’s eight voting centers. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, that number had increased to 1,491. Across the state, more than 13,700 people had voted as of 4 p.m. Thursday, State Board of Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis wrote in an online update.
In Maryland’s closed primaries — where voters can only pick candidates in parties that match their voter registration — about 2.2 million Democrats and 1 million Republicans are eligible to vote statewide. In Baltimore, there are about 300,000 Democrats and 28,000 Republicans, according to the latest available registration figures.
Early voting will run through May 9, and turnout during such weeks is typically higher on the first day and in the final days.
With the state expecting a potentially record-breaking election for mail-in ballots, Barnes said he would urge any voter who received one to get it in as soon as possible. About 52,000 mail-in ballots went out across the city and more than 12,500 had been returned and canvassed through Wednesday, he said.
“There’s no need to wait until the last minute,” he said.
Voters who didn’t wait long to cast their ballots in person included Edward and Sallie Papenfuse, who voted at the Northwood location for the last time as 57-year Baltimore residents who are preparing to move to Baltimore County.
“I like our current mayor,” said Edward Papenfuse, a retiree who spent four decades as Maryland State Archivist, after voting for Brandon Scott, a Democrat seeking reelection.
Sallie Papenfuse said she picked Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the U.S. Senate race because, “We need another woman in the office.”
In the city council president race — where incumbent Nick Mosby is trying to fend off challengers Zeke Cohen, Shannon Sneed and others — Amy Taylor, 73, said she’d been interested in Sneed but ultimately went with Cohen because she heard him talk about supporting schools and students, her top issue. Plus, she’s heard about him in her neighborhood constantly.
“I’ve heard his name right and left, all the time. You got a problem? (They say,) ‘Call Zeke,’” Taylor said as she left the early voting site at the Southeast Anchor branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.
Robert Lake, 62, a military retiree, said he voted for former Mayor Sheila Dixon in the mayor’s race because he thinks she will help curb some of the crime and “quality of life” issues in the city.
“Not to be disrespectful, because it is a hard job being a leader, but I need to see the quality of leadership in this respect,” Lake said of Scott.
Robert Lake, 62, cast his ballot at The League for People with Disabilities during early voting in Baltimore. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)
While some had issues on their mind, others were thinking ahead to November.
Rodger Ream, 67, who is retired, said he voted for U.S. Rep. David Trone in the Senate primarily because he thinks Trone can beat Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan in November. He also said he likes that Trone has been largely self-funding his campaign rather than accepting donations.
“I don’t think he can be bought because he already has all his money, and he seems like a good Democrat,” Ream said.
Democrats have been split over who would be the best option to face Hogan, a popular two-term Republican and an experienced fundraiser. Hogan has been active on the campaign trail since his late entry in the Senate race in February — including with a large initial television ad buy in which he pitched himself as a middle-of-the-road option.
Larry Gibson, a longtime University of Maryland law professor who has mentored and worked closely with many Democrats across the state, has backed Alsobrooks and said Trone would be “just too risky a nominee” against Hogan.
Gibson strolled into the League for People with Disabilities to cast his ballot for Alsobrooks, a former law student of his, and said electing her was his top priority this year.
Barnes said the city elections office still was looking to fill out its ranks of volunteers for the May 14 primary day, when 181 polling locations will be open. About 2,500 total volunteers are needed to adequately staff all polling locations and Barnes said about 75% of those positions are filled. Volunteers can sign up online and training will occur until May 9, he said.
“We’re encouraging people to come out, participate, see the process in action,” he said.
Board of Elections President Scherod Barnes visits the League for People with Disabilities during early voting in Baltimore. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)
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