Voter registration, party change deadline is Oct. 16

Important deadlines for the upcoming General Election are approaching. The deadline to register to vote, change party affiliation, update an address and request an alternate polling place for this election is 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16.

To vote in the upcoming general election, Maryland residents who are eligible to vote but are not yet registered — including 17-year-olds who will be 18 years old on or before the Nov. 6 General Election — must register by 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16. This is also the last day for registered voters to update their address with their local board of elections or change their party affiliation.

Charles County residents with a Maryland driver’s license or MVA-issued ID may register to vote, change their address or change their party affiliation online at voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration.

Voters and members of the military, their spouses and dependents who are overseas and who do not have a Mar yland driver’s license or MVA-issued ID, may also register or change their address or party affiliation online using different identifying information.

Paper voter registration applications must be hand-delivered or mailed to the Charles County Board of Elections. A hand-delivered application must be received by the Charles County Board of Elections by 9 p.m. on Oct. 16, and a mailed application must be postmarked by Oct. 16.

Voter registration applications are available throughout Maryland at the following locations: local boards of elections; Motor Vehicle Administration offices; state Department of Health offices; local Department of Social Services offices; Offices on Aging; Division of Rehabilitation Services; recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces; public institutions of higher education; marriage license bureaus; post offices; public libraries; the State Board of Elections; and the MTA Paratransit Certification Office.

You may also call 1-800222-8683 to request an application by mail or download and print a voter registration application at elections.maryland.gov/voter_registration/application.html.

Most of Maryland’s polling places are accessible to voters with disabilities. An elderly voter or a voter with a disability who is assigned to an inaccessible polling place may ask to be reassigned to an accessible polling place. This request must be submitted in writing by 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16. The request form is available online at elections.maryland.gov/ pdf/request_for_accessible_polling_place.pdf.

Voters can also call 1-800-222-8683 to request a form by mail. On receipt of a timely request, the Charles County Board of Elections will review the request and determine whether there is an accessible polling place with the same ballot as the voter’s home precinct and notify the voter of the status of his or her request.

To verify voter registration status or to find out if an assigned polling place is accessible, voters may go to voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch.

The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 25, and runs through Thursday, Nov. 1. Voters may vote in person between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the designated early voting centers in Charles County. Information about early voting centers and early voting in general is available at elections.maryland.gov/voting/early_voting.html.

For more information, voters may contact the Charles County Board of Election at 301-934-8972 or the State Board of Elections at 1-800-222VOTE (8683) or go to elections.maryland.gov.

Econ. Development Dept. announces Fall Meeting date

The Charles County Economic Development Department will host its annual Fall Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Community Center, located at 3090 Crain Highway

in Waldorf, from 8 a.m. to noon. This year’s theme is “Charles County Closing the Workforce Gap.”

Charles County is fortunate to be located in a highly competitive and dynamic region that continues to grow, and with this comes challenges and opportunities, according to a news release. The Fall Meeting is an opportunity to learn how the workforce plays a vital role in building a community. At the meeting, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation Secretary Kelly M. Schultz will be giving the keynote address, and the Economic Development Department will release its 2018 Charles County Workforce Study. There will be two panel discussions: one on workforce development programs within the county and another on employer-led initiatives.

Sponsorship opportunities include several support levels with various packages for business exposure. These packages include benefits such as business recognition in all marketing materials, as well as event signage. Sponsorship level contributions are available from $400 to $1,800.

To learn more about sponsorship packages, contact Michelle DeSoto at DeSotoM@MeetCharlesCounty.com or 301-885-1347. Sponsorship and individual registration are available at http://fallmeeting2018.eventbrite.com.

County releases Columbus Day holiday schedule

All Charles County government offices, facilities and services not listed will be operating their normal hours on Monday, Oct. 8, Columbus Day.

All Charles County government offices and the Tri-County Animal Shelter in Hughesville will be closed.

The Nanjemoy Community Center, senior centers, Port Tobacco Recreation Center and all school-based community centers are closed.

All indoor pools will be open 1 to 9 p.m. for open swim (Lackey, Donald M. Wade Aquatic Center and North Point).

Charles County Health Department is closed.

For questions about county government holiday closures, contact the Public Information Office at 301-885-2779 or email PressRoom@ CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

Charles partnering to conduct National Citizen Survey

Charles County Government is partnering with National Research Center Inc. to conduct the National Citizen Survey (NCS), according to a news release.

The survey centers on community livability and includes questions about the quality of life in the community, local policies, demographics, rating of local government services and resident use of services. The NCS is designed to provide a baseline of how Charles County Government is serving residents, to better gauge perceptions of the county and to make comparisons with peer local government agencies, according to the release.

A random and scientific sample of 1,500 households will receive invitations by mail to participate in the NCS. Residents are encouraged to look for a postcard invitation in the coming weeks. Responses are confidential. Residents who do not receive invitations will have the opportunity to participate at a later date via an online portal. When the link for the online survey is available, information will be provided on the Charles County Government website at http://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov.