[Baltimore Sun] Howard County reports smooth start to election day voting, with 25,222 ballots cast
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Voting is under way in Howard County with 25,222 ballots cast Tuesday morning, according to Election Director Guy Mickley.
“Things are going very well and very smooth,” he said. “We had a good push in the morning. We’ve had no issues.”
Casting his ballot at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Kevin Phillips, 49, said he was motivated to vote due to a strong disdain for former President Donald Trump.
Currently unemployed, Phillips, who is unaffiliated and a resident of Columbia, said one of his concerns is unemployment.
“I hope that Harris can get this place back on track, [because] we need jobs,” he said. “I’m not against foreigners because I’m one myself, my wife is also one, but we need jobs here and we can’t just be giving them away to H-1B [visas]. We need to make it so that we are bringing about our own doctors and nurses and not having to rely on outside sources.”
Anthony Seegars, 51 and his wife Stacie, 53, of Columbia, owners of a property management business in the community, voted for Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance.
They said they were motivated to vote by. concerns over the economy and immigration. Anthony said he hopes voting will make a difference nationally.
“It’s important that everyone votes,” he said. “This is a very crucial election and it’s kind of scary what is possible from what’s been going on and we wanted to do our little part.”
Howard County School Board candidate Jen Mallo was electioneering outside of Wilde Lake High. Seeking a third term on the board, Mallo said she ran for reelection because there is still work she wants to get done, including getting cellphones out of classrooms, supporting the mental health of staff, students and teachers, and supporting the new superintendent.
Mallo said she hopes to see the school system continue to thrive in the future.
“I hope that we continue to grow and develop at every level so that we’re bringing students who are the bottom up, making sure that everyone is reading by the end of third grade and making sure that they are college and career ready,” she said.
Mitra Sadat-Akhavi, 40, of Columbia, cast her ballot at Howard High School in Ellicott City. A Democrat, Sadat-Akhavi said she was motivated to vote by her desire to make a difference for the next generation.
“We want to have the best country for our kids and the generation to come, so we have to do what’s right,” she said.
Danielle Brantley, 34, of Ellicott City, a technical assistant for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, also came out to vote at Howard High School. A registered Democrat, Brantley said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Brantley said her main concerns were women’s rights, including reproductive rights.
“Me and my partner are child free, so the idea of not having that option in the future is problematic and scary,” she said.
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