Maryland voters will be faced with a wide range of ballot options in these primary elections, and Hispanic faces will be common in different congressional districts.
Both parties will hold their primaries on Tuesday, July 19, but from Thursday, July 7 through July 14, qualified individuals can vote early.
The mid-term elections, which will renew seats in the federal Congress, coincide with the state ones in Maryland.
State residents will elect candidates from each party for the state’s top three offices; governor, attorney general and comptroller, who will face each other in November.
They must also elect candidates in various local elections.
The Latin Time has prepared a basic guide to voting.
What are primary elections?
Primaries are elections between candidates from the same party in order to choose a candidate for the general elections in November.
Candidates must register by a predetermined deadline to appear on the primary ballot in their state. The candidate with the most votes in each party goes to the second round.
Maryland primary elections are closed, what does this mean?
Unlike Virginia, primary elections in Maryland are close. That means that to vote you need to be affiliated with a party. Voters must vote for a candidate only from the political party under which they are registered. Independents don’t vote in primaries, only in general.
According to the page www.openprimaries.org, 19% of voters in Maryland are not affiliated with any political party.
What offices are being elected in Maryland?
The seats up for renewal this year are all eight US House districts, including a vacant seat in District 4, which includes parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, who is running for a second term in the Senate, is facing a Democratic challenger and there are 10 candidates on the Republican side vying to face him in November.
However, the most closely watched races are for governor and lieutenant governor, in which both Democrats and Republicans make their choices to succeed outgoing Republican Governor Larry Hogan, whose term is limited.
State elections also include executive and council elections in some counties such as Montgomery and Prince George’s.
There are three ways to vote in primary elections from Maryland
1. In advance in person from July 7 to 14
2. In advance by mail. To do this you must request a ballot by mail until july 12 through the site
https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration/InstructionsStep1
You can return the ballot by mail or drop it off at one of the election drop boxes in your county.
3. In person, the same day as the election, Tuesday, July 19, from 7am to 8pm in your precinct.
Do you need to register to vote or update your registration?
The deadline to register to vote in the 2022 primary or update your registration by mail or online has passed. It was Tuesday June 28.
However, you can do so in person at an early voting center, July 7-14, or on Election Day itself, July 19 at your polling place. You can find where to vote at https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
How to order a ballot by mail?
If you want to vote by mail ballot, you must request one from the State Board of Elections. Your request must be received before July 12.
You must enter
https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/OnlineVoterRegistration/InstructionsStep1
You can choose to receive your ballot by mail. Fill it out and return it with your vote (later we will give instructions on how to fill it out)
If you chose to receive your ballot by email, you will receive a link that will allow you to print and mail it.
Instructions for completing the ballot to be mailed
Follow the instructions on the ballot and return it in the postage-paid return envelope that came with your ballot.
The State Board of Elections recommends the following:
-Use black ink to mark your ballot.
-Sign the return envelope. Do not sign the ballot.
-Seal your return envelope.
-Mail your ballot using the postage-paid return envelope.
-If you want to return your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than the date of the primary election, July 19.
You can use the voter search website to check if your local board of elections received your ballot application, https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch
Voting boxes: where are they?
You may also return your completed ballot to your county drop box. Statewide, there are 288 boxes. They will remain open until July 19 at 8 pm.
You can find the complete list of polls at https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/documents/Primary_Ballot_Drop_Box_List.pdf
Early voting in person
If you want to vote early in person, there will be eight days of early voting, which runs from Thursday, July 7 to Thursday, July 14. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can vote early at any early voting center in the county in which they live.
The complete list of early voting centers in each county can be found on this website: https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2022/2022_Early%20Voting_Centers.pdf
During early voting, you can make some changes to your registration. For example, if you’ve moved, you can update your address.
However, you cannot change your party affiliation until after the election.
Vote in person the same day as the primary
Primary day is Tuesday, July 19. If you want to vote in person that day, you can search for your polling place online at https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/PollingPlaceSearch.
The polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm on July 19.
17-year-olds can vote in primaries
In the state of Maryland, people can vote at age 17 in the primary as long as they turn 18 before the general election. In this case on November 8.
How to register in person on the day of voting?
To register you must do it in person, since the deadline to do it by mail or online has passed. You can do it during the early elections, from July 7 to 14, or the same day of the primaries on July 19.
You must present any of these documents to prove your Maryland residency:
- A license issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).
- An identification card (ID Card).
- Change of address card.
- Check/salary, bank statement.
- Utility bill or any other government document that contains your name and address.
Governor’s race
Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican who has served two terms, cannot run again due to service limits. So nine Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the nomination in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans.
The list of Democratic candidates includes one of Latino origin:
- Tom Pérez, former US Secretary of Labor and chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He was a Clerk in Maryland and a Montgomery County Councilman.
- Jon Baron, an executive at a nonprofit organization.
- Peter Franchot, current Comptroller of Maryland.
- Doug Gansler, ex fiscal general de Maryland.
- Ralph Jaffe, retired teacher.
- Ashwani Jain, former White House staffer under Obama. He is the youngest of the candidates. He is 32 years old.
- John King, former education secretary in the Obama administration
- Jerome Segal, philosopher and founder of the Bread and Roses Party.
- West Moore, combat veteran, author, and former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty organization.
The Republican candidates for Governor are:
- Dan Cox, state delegate representing District 4, which includes Frederick and Carroll counties.
- Robin Ficker, former state delegate, who served only one term.
- Kelly Schulz, former secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce.
- Joe Werner, an attorney who previously ran in a statewide race as a Democrat.
Hispanics on the ballot
There are more than 20 Latino candidates competing in these primaries in local and state positions. In a second edition of this special we present the complete list of Hispanics applying for the various positions.
Facebook Live “Your vote matters. Know how to vote”
The Friday, July 8, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.the Maryland Board of Elections held a virtual event through Facebook Live to inform the Latino community about the details of the vote.
The event, titled “Your Vote Matters. Know How to Vote”included details on how, where and when to vote on July 19 and the importance of Hispanic participation in these primaries.
Participating in Facebook Live were Gabriela Lemus, from Maryland Latinos Unidos; Ramón Palencia-Calvo, of CHISPA, a program of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters; Gilberto Zelaya, of the Montgomery County Board of Elections; Francisco “Chele” González, from the radio program Los Reyes de la Mañana, and Verónica Cool, from Cool & Associates LLC.
You can join Facebook Live through https://fb.watch/ebSG1C_lOO/.
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