Readers respond to last week’s Feedback Friday topic, which was:
Primary Election Early & Mail-In Voting
Last Thursday morning, 96 early voting centers opened throughout Maryland for the primary election, ahead of the official election day, July 19th. Early voting will remain open through the 14th.
For those choosing to mail in their ballots, requests for the mail-in paper ballots must be made by July 12th through the State Board of Elections website: https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineMailinRequest/InstructionsStep1
A preliminary report from the State Board had the number of early ballots cast in person at just over 19,000 thus far. Compare this number to the 31,000 ballots cast on the first day of early voting in the gubernatorial primary four years ago. The drop may be attributed to the increase of requests for mail-in ballots.
In the 2018 primary, the state sent out just over 42,000 mail-in ballots, with about 30,000 returned by voters. This year, more than 477,000 mail ballots have been requested, with over 25,000 having been returned as of Wednesday.
Seems there’s trust in the both the early and mail-in voting systems. But what do you think?
Do you trust Maryland’s early, mail-in, and day-of balloting to confirm primary election winners? What method will you use to cast your votes this year?
Here’s what you said:
Mail in ballots should be suspended (except for Veterans, etc). USPS has shown their service cannot be relied on. Voters should be required to show photo ID. MVA already gives photo ID's to non-citizens, so it can be done for all citizens for verification purposes.
I am taking advantage to use Early Voting centers.
Vicky Burtis, Millersville
Yes, I trust early & mail in voting. I use & will use the ballot box.I find them secure & easy to get to with no line. The one at the school is drive threw so very accessible for a disabled person or anyone for that matter. My personal mail is often delayed or neighbors drop it off so I feel comfortable with mail in dropping it off at the post office. My community has had issues with our mail so I wouldn't put it in my mailbox although the 1st 30 yrs in my home I would have. People know their mail carriers & if they are comfortable with it getting their but for me drop boxes are great. I feel the ballot boxes are the best way to go. I love the ability to fill out my ballot at home because I am disabled & this makes more possible for me to vote. It is a wonderful option that I am grateful to have.
Lauren Long, Annapolis
As one of the 100,000+ "unaffiliated voters" in Anne Arundel County we are prohibited from voting in the primary election. We can thank our political leaders in both parties for excluding over 1/3 of Maryland residents from voting because we have not registered for one of their parties. This is one of the greatest voter suppression measures that can be taken and should be eliminated by elected leaders.
Paul Bollinger, Annapolis
I am 100% against early and mail in voting. It costs the taxpayer a bundle and is one more way to make voting less secure. Americans managed to vote legally and on the same day for most of country's history. We have always had absentee voting and that should continue although often those votes are not counted-particularly the military votes , which is WRONG! Early voting is just a great big expensive opportunity to cheat!
Christy Wilson, Severna Park
I've been using mail-in voting for years. It's very convenient and I have no qualms about it from a safety perspective. In fact, I think it safer than in-person voting in MD as it's currently practiced (which I think it amply safe from the perspective of not being able to cheat) but I'm not going to offer here a primer on how to cheat the current in-person system. So far this cycle, early voting has been a bust in terms of numbers but maybe it'll pick up next week. If mail-in voting becomes more popular, early voting can be scrapped. In fact, so can day-of in person voting as is the case in several other states. If voting fairness is what concerns us, gerrymandering should be what we worry about. Most electoral districts in MD and in many other states are "safe" for one party or another and this has contributed to the current level of partisanship that, when projected to the country as a whole, is tearing us apart.
Marc Knapp, Annapolis
WE the PEOPLE of Maryland are fully aware of the POLITICAL corruption that has existed in this Great State of Maryland for decades and decadesMaryland is truly a despicable and embarrassing state in virtually every measure of ethics....morality....democratic values...2022 primary and midterm general elections are easily the most important elections in Maryland modern political history.....
Gerard Hall, Annapolis
As long as there is some kind of voter ID to prove that the ballot was being submitted by the person represented on the ballot, I don't care how they vote. It must be legitimate.
Theresa Nelson, Rock Hall
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