Trinity Assembly of God polling place on Good Luck Road opened late for the primary election on the morning of July 19 due to a holdup with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections, Mayor Emmett Jordan said. Trinity Assembly of God, the polling place for some Greenbelt East residents, did not open their doors until around 8:15 a.m., said Jordan. Statewide voting hours were from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A chief election judge at the Community Center confirmed that she heard about the issues Trinity had with opening on time.
There were an estimated 15 to 20 voters who were “turned away, more or less,” without being given provisional ballots, according to Jordan.
The Eleanor Roosevelt High School polling place also opened late, according to Alonzo Washington, Maryland Delegate for District 22, affecting more Greenbelt East voters.
The County Board of Elections did not respond to requests for comment on the delayed opening at Trinity or Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Greenbelt voting locations include Trinity Assembly of God, Springhill Lake Elementary School, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt Elementary School and the Community Center.
While the morning was not particularly busy in foot traffic to the polls, there still were Greenbelters trickling in to vote. During the early morning, some voters at Greenbelt Elementary were in and out in less than half an hour. A Greenbelt resident for over 40 years said that her voting experience at Greenbelt Elementary was “pleasant” and not too crowded.
At Eleanor Roosevelt High School, a voter thanked the poll workers for all that they do, and appreciates their hard work.
Final election results may not be available until August. Provisional ballots will be counted on Wednesday, July 20, but mail-in ballots cannot be opened and counted until Thursday, July 21, per state law, and counting can continue through Friday, July 29.