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For a while it seemed as though this new tripartite method of voting would be too strange and too complicated to work, especially on the short notice provided by a pandemic, but one by one the pieces are falling into place. This article will provide the basics on the when and where of these methods, but much more information is available on the website of the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at princegeorgescountymd.gov/1691/Voter-Information or by contacting staff at 301-341-7300. Questions about mail-in ballots can also be addressed by email to atboeabsenteevoting@co.pg.md.us.
Some things must be done regardless of what method of voting is planned. One is to register to vote or to correct your address or name listing if you are not already registered correctly. The deadline for registering is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13. Residents may register to vote online if they have a Maryland driver’s license or MVA-issued ID card. Otherwise an application form is available on the website in English or Spanish that can be filled out, signed and then mailed, faxed or emailed (scanned as an attachment) to the board.
Mail-in Voting
Everyone surely knows by now that because of the risks of spreading COVID-19, voters in the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election are strongly encouraged to take advantage of mail-in voting to avoid the lines, waits and close contacts that may occur with in-person voting in an election that is expected to draw heavy turnout. Early concerns about the handling of ballots and the capability of the U.S. Postal Service have been significantly reduced with the encouragement to submit completed ballots as early as possible and to take advantage of Board of Election drop-boxes for the return of ballots.
All registered voters should have received an application form to receive a mail-in ballot some time ago. The deadline for submitting an application for a mail-in ballot depends on the way you wish to receive it. The simplest way is to be sure the application will be in the Board of Elections office no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20. For other options, call the office in advance. If you did not receive an application form and wish to vote by mail-in, contact the Board of Elections office immediately.
It is still expected that mail-in ballots that have been requested will be mailed by the end of September. Once voters receive them, voting begins. Mail-in voters are encouraged to read the instructions carefully to be sure requirements are met.
Mail-in voters are also responsible for returning their ballot on time in the provided return envelope. If the ballot is to be mailed, the post office encourages mailing it seven days ahead of Election Day if possible. Alternatively, the ballot can be taken to the Board of Elections office at 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, in Largo. Or, the ballot can be placed in any of the 44 drop-boxes to be placed throughout Prince George’s County. Some of these boxes will be placed when voting begins, from September 28 to 30, and others will be added from October 15 to 17, as Election Day grows closer.
Drop-Box Locations
While any of the drop-boxes in the county may be used by Greenbelt voters to return their ballots, the closest ones to Greenbelt placed from September 28 to 30 will be the following: DuVal High School (9880 Good Luck Road, Lanham), The Pavilion-University of Maryland Xfinity Center (8500 Paint Branch Drive, College Park) and Parkdale High School (6001 Good Luck Road, Riverdale). Additional boxes at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (7601 Hanover Drive) and Glenn Dale Community Center (11901 Glenn Dale Boulevard, Glenn Dale) will be placed from October 15 to 17. Once placed and open for business, all drop-boxes will remain available 24 hours per day, up to the time the polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. They will be guarded by surveillance cameras or in-person security.
In-Person Voting
Some county residents will choose to go to one of some 40 Election Day Vote Centers, which will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3 only. There, they can complete a ballot and submit it in person, much as usual, though it will not be at their usual precinct and they may not see any of their neighbors.
Other county residents may prefer to take advantage of 11 Early Voting Centers that will be open daily for voting from Monday, October 26, through Monday, November 2, from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. The Early Voting centers will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. as well.
Since voters who wish to vote in person for this election are not required to vote at an assigned polling place, they can choose any of the Prince George’s County sites for Early Voting or Election Day voting in person. The locations nearest to Greenbelt, however, in order of distance, will be the following.
For Early Voting: DuVal High School (9880 Good Luck Road, Lanham); The Pavilion at University of Maryland Xfinity Center (8500 Paint Branch Drive, College Park); and Kentland Community Center (2413 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover). Greenbelters who were used to going to the College Park Community Center for Early Voting should be aware that, at least for this election, that location is replaced by the Xfinity Center at the University.
For Election Day (Tuesday, November 3) voting: All the above Early Voting locations will be available for voting on Election Day, but the locations closest to Greenbelt on that day will be Eleanor Roosevelt High School (7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt); DuVal High School (9880 Good Luck Road, Lanham); Parkdale High School (6001 Good Luck Road, Riverdale); Glenn Dale Community Center (11901 Glenn Dale Road, Glenn Dale); and The Pavilion at University of Maryland, Xfinity Center (8500 Paint Branch Drive, College Park).