Voters approve early voting

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008

Voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that authorizes the General Assembly to select three precincts in each county to open up to two weeks early.

The referendum passed with ease as voters embraced supporters' argument that the measure will make voting more convenient and curb long lines on Election Day. Opponents decried early voting as too costly, susceptible to voter fraud and a partisan maneuver designed to draw more Democrats to the ballot box.

In Charles County, the measure passed with 76 percent voting for and 23 percent opposing question.

Calvert County voted in favor of the question 66 to 33 percent, and St. Mary's County was 66 percent in favor with 33 percent opposed.

Maryland joins 35 other states which already offer some form of early voting.

The issue took a back seat to the attention surrounding legalized slot machine gambling in the past year. The legislature voted in 2007 to place early voting on the ballot after the state's highest court upheld a lower court ruling that legislation to open polls a week before the election was unconstitutional and had to be put to voters.

The General Assembly will designate three polling places in each county to open up to 10 days before Election Day. Legislators can also now make it legal for people to vote outside of their usual precincts, which critics say opens the system to tampering and threatens the integrity of the electoral process.

But Southern Maryland voters who face lengthy commutes could benefit from the extra voting time. It also could come into play if inclement weather forecasts cause people to stay at home. An ice storm during the state's Feb. 12 primary election snarled traffic and caused elections officials to extend polling hours by 90 minutes. Even then, many voters were unable to make it to the polls to cast their ballots.

abrody@somdnews.com