Want to register, or write a letter? Here’s how
There’s less than a month to go now. Letters supporting candidates are coming in hot and heavy (more on that in a bit). Four remaining political forums (three which are free to the public) are still on the slate. It’s safe to say the campaigns are in high gear.
If you want to vote but haven’t registered, the clock is ticking. If you’re eligible to vote — that is, you’ll be 18 by Nov. 6 — but haven’t registered yet, the deadline is next Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 9 p.m. Of course, you can also change your party affiliation, update your address or request an alternate polling place from the one you’ve been assigned because of where you live. It’s getting a little late to do it by mail, but you can visit the board of elections office today, Monday or Tuesday, or do it online at elections.maryland. gov/voter_registration. All you’ll need is your driver’s license or other form of state-issued ID.
Early voting will be from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 at the La Plata firehouse on Washington Avenue and the Gleneagles Neighborhood Center at 4900 Kirkcaldy Court in Waldorf from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day — even Saturday and Sunday. If you still haven’t registered by then, you can do it at early voting. Again, you’ll need to bring some form of ID.
One of the two ballot questions involves making voter registration available on Election Day itself. If that referendum passes — and we support it wholeheartedly — sameday registration on Election Day would start in 2020. We see it as just one more way to make doing your civic duty more accessible and convenient. You can also still apply for an absentee ballot for the Nov. 6 general election, as long as it’s received by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30 (in the mail or hand delivered) or by 11:59 p.m. (if sent electronically). For more about registration and absentee ballots, call 301-475-4200, ext. 1613.
Now back to the subject of political letters. In addition to the other parts of our election policy, which we’re running every other edition in a special box on this page, there’s one more thing we’d like to add in the interest of fairness to all. The absolute deadline for any political letter will be noon on Monday, Oct. 29. This allows writers a fair chance to get published, while at the same time allowing a fair cushion for rebuttal. Letters that come in after the final deadline will not be published in print, but they will be posted on our website.
By now, the candidates themselves should know what the rules are regarding letters. If not, the box on this page outlining the restrictions should serve as a refresher.
So as long as you play by the rules, you’re invited to write a letter. If you still need to register or make some changes to your voting profile, hop to it. And once you’re registered, be sure to vote.