Early voting comes to a close

Record number of ballots are cast in advance of Tuesday’s primary election

Early voting in Maryland was wrapping up Thursday with a record number of ballots cast in advance of the June 26 primary election, which sets the stage for dozens of races in November — including which Democratic candidate will challenge Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

Through Wednesday night, 172,743 Marylanders had voted in seven days — more than voted early in the entire eight-day period of the 2014 gubernatorial primary.

Outside the early voting station at the Reisterstown Senior Center on Thursday, candidates and campaign volunteers stuffed paper handouts and flyers into the hands of voters before they trickled inside to cast their ballots. Campaign signs jutted out of the grass featuring the names and faces of candidates.

During the primary election four years ago, 19 percent of voters cast ballots at early voting sites, compared with 76 percent who voted on the day of the 2014 primary. The remaining 5 percent cast absentee and provisional ballots. Two years ago, during the 2016 presidential primary, 18 percent of voters cast early ballots.

In both Baltimore County and Baltimore City, early voting was above the statewide average of 4.8 percent of eligible voters. Early voting turnout as of Wednesday ranged from 11.2 percent of eligible voters in Talbot County to 2.3 percent in Allegany County. More votes were cast in Prince George’s County, 31,499, than in any of the state’s 23 other jurisdictions. Baltimore County was second with 27,770.