'Make it a priority': Early in-person voting polls now open in Maryland

BALTIMORE-- A seven-day period of early voting has begun in Maryland. 

From Thursday Oct. 27 to Thursday, Nov. 3, voters will be able to cast their ballots at dozens at sites across the state. The seven day time period also includes both weekend days and the locations open at 7 a.m. in the mornings and close at 8 p.m.

In a tweet, Governor Larry Hogan state "regardless of who you are voting for or your party affiliation... exercising your right to vote is important."    

At the Westside Skill Center off Edmonson Avenue in West Baltimore, voters said it was important for them to show-up to vote on the first day of early voting.

"I know the lines on election day and that can be a deterrent for people to stand in line and actually vote, so I came early to make sure that my vote is actually counted," said Viola Nicholson, a voter in Northwest Baltimore.

According to the State Board of Elections (SBE), Maryland has more than 3.7 million eligible voters and voting on election day is still, by far, the most popular option. 

During July's primary elections,  the SBE said more than 477,000 people voted on primary day, compared to 172,000 who chose early voting.

In a Washington Post Op Ed, Governor Hogan said "A recent nonpartisan  report found that Maryland ranks second in the nation in election integrity." And " When the results are counted - whether we like them or not - we must accept them."

That is a sentiment voters agree with.

"This is a priority whoever you vote for," one voter told WJZ. "Might not be for who I want you to vote for - but vote."

"If you're not going to make it a priority, what comments can you make about things? Come out and vote," said Renee Winston, a voter.

Voters will be considering  the candidates and additional questions on their ballots  which include statewide hot button issues like the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older; and in Baltimore city, whether politicians should be limited on how many terms they can serve.

During the primaries, the state board of elections said more people also chose to mail-in their ballot - versus voting early.

Baltimore City officials are continuously working to avoid some of the issues seen during the primaries. City Election Director, Armstead Jones, stated he believes redistricting is to blame for the bulk of the problems experienced in July.

"The election process is not a perfect system in lots of various ways.", Jones said. "Every 10 years there's redistricting that occurs around the state and Baltimore city was not the only jurisdiction that had issues with redistricting. We normally have two to three months to do it, we had two and a half weeks."

The last day to request a mail in ballot is November 1.