Prince George’s County special primary election for the seat vacated by At-Large Councilmember Mel Franklin is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting will be available from Wednesday, July 31, through Monday, August 5 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., except Sunday, which will be from noon to 6 p.m. The Prince George’s County Board of Elections will list voting centers on its website once confirmed, expected by Friday, July 19. Ballots will be mailed to all voters (not only voters registered for state mail-in ballots) on or before July 24, which voters can return by mail.
There are eight Democratic candidates, following the withdrawal of Keisha Lewis, who said she was ending her campaign to avoid violating the Hatch Act. (The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939, limiting political activities of federal employees and some other government employees who work with federal funds.) There are four Republican candidates. The News Review will publish a voting guide for readers in next week’s issue.
The unexpected primary is a result of Franklin’s abrupt resignation last month just days before he was charged in a felony theft scheme.
The primary election occurs during peak travel season for some, but Prince George’s County Board of Elections can help citizens cast their vote via absentee ballot if they cannot get to a voting center and do not want to mail their ballot.
This writer placed a call to the Board of Elections and was able to collect an absentee ballot just hours later from their office at 1200 Mercantile Lane, near Route 202 and Lottsford Road, approximately a 15-minute drive from Greenbelt without traffic. There was also the option to vote at the Board of Elections Office rather than take the ballot home.