Reporters' Notebook

Maryland voters can skip the long lines of Election Day and vote early.

“We recommend it to anyone who may not be available on Election Day or who might not want the hassle of waiting in lines on Election Day,” said Daneen Banks, deputy elections administrator of the Prince George’s County Board of Elections.

Early voting centers are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day through Thursday, Oct. 28. Voting began on Friday.

There will be 46 centers spread across the state, with five centers apiece in Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

On Nov. 2, 223 polling places will be available.

The state first experimented with early voting in September for the primary elections. Turnout was lower than expected; organizers planned for a turnout of about 95,000, and more than 77,000 voted early. But “it went very smoothly,” said Donna Duncan, the election management director for the Maryland Board of Elections.

Almost 2.5 percent of the state’s more than 3 million registered voters voted early in the primary.

“We’re expecting similar, if not greater turnout, as word spreads,” Banks said.

Prince George’s County had the greatest number of people who voted early in the primary, with more than 14,500, almost 3 percent of the county’s registered voters, turning out. Kent County had the highest percentage, with more than 6.8 percent of its registered voters casting ballots, officials said.

The option of early voting carries advantages for both voters and election boards. “You can pick which day is convenient for you to vote,” Duncan said.

Banks hopes early voting might take some of the burden off polling places on Election Day, especially with people who can vote only during the early morning or evening rush. “It would just be really good for us if people take advantage of it,” she said.

Both Republican and Democratic party committees are urging their supporters to get out and vote.

“Absolutely we’re spreading the word” about early voting, said Norma Lindsay, chairwoman of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee. The group has been contacting supporters through telephone banks, commercials, Facebook and Twitter, and will provide some taxi and van services to help people get to the polls. Lindsay said she expects early voting to allow more seniors and college students to vote.

The Montgomery County Republican Central Committee is encouraging supporters to take advantage of the options available to them, said Chairman Mark Uncapher. But he doesn’t think early voting has necessarily provided a boost.

“I’m not sure that early voting has significantly increased voter turnout,” Uncapher said. “People who want to vote will vote.”

Registered voters can also choose to vote by absentee ballot. If mailed or delivered, applications for an absentee ballot must be received at the applicant’s local election board by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26. If faxed or e-mailed, it must be received by 11:59 p.m.

More information on voting procedures can be found at the Maryland State Board of Elections.

- By Maryland Newsline’s Karen Carmichael