Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know this is the season of primary elections for the two major political parties to select their presidential candidates? Probably not.
If anything, Marylanders have been wondering if they would get a chance to contribute their two cents. This year, Maryland voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, April 28, in tandem with voters from Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Democrats have 14 candidates still listed on their presidential ballot, with Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders being almost the only ones who have not officially withdrawn. Some states have cancelled their Republican primary election, but Marylanders can vote for either Donald Trump or Bill Weld. One “down ballot” election appears on both ballots: that for District 5 Congressional Representative. Four candidates on the Democratic ballot and five on the Republican ballot are running to challenge Steny Hoyer. On both ballots, there also appear contests for Judge of the Circuit Court (Circuit 7) and for Delegates to both parties’ national conventions.
Although April 28 may still seem rather far down the road, April 7, the deadline for registering to vote or changing one’s political party for the primaries is just around the corner.
Registering/Changing Party
As with any election, Greenbelters who are not already registered to vote at their residence address or who need to make corrections to their voting information must do so by the registration deadline of April 7 if they wish to vote in the primary.
In a primary election, that deadline can also serve another purpose for some individuals. In Maryland, persons who are 17 years of age may vote in the primary if they will turn 18 by November 3, the day of the General Election, and if they have registered by April 7 to vote in the primary as members of the Democratic or Republican Party.
Why Change Party?
Why must voters be registered as Democrats or Republicans to vote in the primary election? By federal law, the two major parties are required to hold primaries to select their candidates, and in the majority of states the parties choose to let only their own members vote to make those choices. Voters registered as independents or with other political parties can cast votes only in nonpartisan races, typically for county school board, that may appear on the primary ballot. Since Greenbelt’s school board representative is now mid-term, there are no nonpartisan issues for voters on the ballot this year.
Nonetheless, until the April 7 deadline, voters may choose to change their party affiliation if they are not registered as Democrats or Republicans or if they would prefer to vote in the primary of the opposite party. If they wish to return to their original party prior to the November 3 election, they must do so by changing their registration again by the October 13 registration deadline for the General Election.
How to Register
The options for registering or changing registration information have remained the same for several years. The voter registration form can be used either for a new registration or for changing an address, a name or a political party affiliation on an existing registration. The process can be completed entirely online by using Maryland’s Online Registration System on the State Board of Elections website at elections. maryland.gov. If preferred, one can also print a registration form from the same website and mail or take it to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections, 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo, MD 20774.
A registration form may be requested by phone from the county by calling 301-341-7300 and asking to have it mailed. Forms can also be picked up at the city clerk’s office in the Greenbelt Municipal Building and then mailed by the applicant to the county board office. One can register or change information in person at the Board of Elections office in Largo. While forms may also be returned to Motor Vehicle Administration offices, there are sometimes delays in information reaching the Board of Elections via this method.
Registration forms being returned by mail to the county board office must be postmarked no later than April 7. Forms returned in person to the county board office must arrive by 4:30 p.m. on April 7. Registration online must be completed no later than 9 p.m. on April 7.
To be eligible to register to vote in Prince George’s County, a person must be a U.S. citizen; at least 16 years of age; a resident of the county; either not have been convicted of a felony or have completed serving a court-ordered term of imprisonment, including any required parole or probation; and not be under guardianship for mental disability.
Other Important Dates
Options for voting will be covered in a future article, but dates to be aware of include the following: Early Voting will be conducted from April 16 through April 23. Voting absentee requires requesting an absentee ballot no later than April 21 to have it mailed to you or sent by fax; or by April 24 to download it from the Maryland State website. The form for requesting the ballot can be printed from the state website or provided by mail from the county board by calling 301-341- 7300.