Voting In Anne Arundel County: Everything You Need To Know

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Tuesday is the last day to vote in Maryland. The polls are still open, but they won't be for much longer.

Whether you need to know where to vote or where you can drop your ballot, Patch has your back. Here is everything you need to know about the election in Anne Arundel County.

What District Am I In?

While every voter will have the same names on their presidential ballot, their specific address determines the other races they see. The full Anne Arundel County ballot is available here, but there are easier ways to tell which races you can vote in.

Unlike the Senate, each Marylander only has one delegate in the United States House of Representatives. To determine which congressional district you are a part of, enter your ZIP code at this link.

Three Board of Education seats are up for grabs in Anne Arundel County. Your County Council district determines who represents you on the board. Punch your address into this website to see which district you live in.

Anne Arundel County is in Circuit 5 of the Maryland Circuit Court and the Maryland Court of Appeals. Every Maryland voter is eligible to vote in the at-large race in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Who's Running For Office?

Every candidate up for election in Anne Arundel County is listed below. Their party, where applicable, is noted next to their name.

Each candidate's name is linked to their campaign website. Two judges do not have campaign pages, so Patch linked to their profiles in the state's court system. Special instructions and circumstances are listed in parenthesis.

President and Vice President of the United States:

• Donald J. Trump and Michael Pence (Republican)
• Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (Democrat)
• Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy Spike Cohen (Libertarian)
• Howie Gresham Hawkins and Angela Walker (Green)
• Jerome M. Segal and John de Graaf (Bread and Roses)

Representative of U.S. Congressional District 2:

• Johnny Ray Salling (Republican)
• C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (Democrat)

Representative of U.S. Congressional District 3:

• Charles Anthony (Republican)
• John Sarbanes (Democrat)

Representative of U.S. Congressional District 4:

• George E. McDermott (Republican)
• Anthony G. Brown (Democrat)

Representative of U.S. Congressional District 5:

• Chris Palombi (Republican)
• Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat)

Board of Education Member for County Council District 2:

• Robert A. Silkworth
• Raleigh Turnage Jr.

Board of Education Member for County Council District 3:

• Ken Baughman
• Corine Frank

Board of Education Member for County Council District 6:

• India L. Ochs
• Joanna Bache Tobin

Judge in Circuit 5 of the Maryland Circuit Court (You Can Vote for up to Four Candidates):

• Pamela Alban
• Elizabeth Morris
• Rob Thompson
• Richard Trunnell

Judge in Circuit 5 of the Maryland Court of Appeals (Voting for His Continuance in Office):

• Jonathan Biran

Judge At-Large of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals (Voting for His Continuance in Office):

• E. Gregory Wells

What's Questions Are On The Ballot?

These proposals are referendums that need voters' approval to become law. If passed, the first two questions would alter the listed Maryland laws. The remaining propositions would alter county laws, if adopted.

Residents can vote for or against the following motions. Each petition's name is linked to supplementary, nonpartisan information.

Question 1 (Constitutional Amendment):

• "The proposed amendment authorizes the General Assembly, in enacting a balanced budget bill for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, to increase, diminish, or add items, provided that the General Assembly may not exceed the total proposed budget as submitted by the Governor."
• (Amending Article II Section 17 and Article III Sections 14 and 52 of the Maryland Constitution)

Question 2 (Commercial Gaming Expansion Referendum):

• "Do you approve the expansion of commercial gaming in the State of Maryland to authorize sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education?"
• (Ch. 492 of the 2020 Legislative Session) Expansion of Commercial Gaming - Sports and Event Wagering

Question A (Charter Amendment to the Legislative Branch - Duties of the County Auditor):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to allow the County Auditor to have access to all records and files pertaining to County business; to allow the County Auditor to conduct additional financial and performance audits or reviews of any office, department, or agency funded in whole or in part by County funds; and to allow the County Auditor to conduct investigations of an act or allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse in the obligation, expenditure, or use of County resources."

Question B (Charter Amendment to the Executive Branch - Appointment and Confirmation of Certain Department Heads):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to require County Council confirmation of the County Executives appointments of the County Attorney, Chief of Police, and Fire Chief and to allow the County Council, on the affirmative vote of not less than five members, to prevent removal of a County Attorney appointed by the County Executive."

Question C (Charter Amendment to the Merit System - Exempt Positions):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to remove the limit of 1500 hours per calendar year for hourly rate contractual employees in the exempt service under Section 802(a)(14) of the Charter."

Question D (Charter Amendment to Centralized Purchasing - Competitive Bidding):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to permit the County Council to increase the minimum value of purchases and contracts requiring full competitive bidding to an amount not less than $25,000 and not greater than $100,000."

Question E (Charter Amendment to the Merit System - Extension of the Probationary Period):

• "To amend Section 806 of the Anne Arundel County Charter to modify the probationary period from six months to the time required to complete the departments entry-level training program plus twelve months for entry-level full-time classified sworn employees of the Police Department, Fire Department, Sheriffs Office, and Department of Detention Facilities, and to provide that a probationary period does not run while an employee is on paid or unpaid leave that exceeds 80 consecutive hours."

Question F (Charter Amendment to the Executive Branch - Expanding the Limitation on the Term of Temporary Appointees):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to expand the initial term for an acting Chief Administrative Officer or acting head of any office or department from sixty days to one hundred twenty days, and to allow the County Council to extend that term by up to two additional six month periods instead of the current four months."

Question G (Charter Amendment to Require the Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission):

• "To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to require the Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission."

How Do I Register To Vote?

Online voter registration closed on Oct. 13, but Marylanders can still register at a polling center on Election Day. To find out if you're already registered to vote, head to the state board of elections website.

How Do I Vote By Mail?

It is now too late to safely return your ballot by mail. If you still have your mail-in ballot, election officials recommend returning it to a dropbox as soon as possible.

How Do I Vote By Dropbox?

Voters can place their absentee ballot at one of 31 secured dropboxes. The first 17 bins opened Sept. 30. The final 14 drop-offs opened Oct. 17. Residents using this method must drop off their ballot by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Where Can I Vote Early?

Early voting took place at these seven sites, but Monday was the last day to head to the polls early.

Where Can I Vote On Election Day?

Residents can vote at one of 31 locations on Nov. 3. They will be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Masks are required.

What Are The Deadlines And Dates?

• Voter Registration: Register by Oct. 13 or at the polls during early or Election Day voting
• Absentee Ballot Application: Must be received by mail or submitted online by Oct. 20
• First Round Of Drop Boxes Open: Sept. 30
• Second Round of Drop Boxes Open: Oct. 17
• Early Voting Starts: Oct. 26 (Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day)
• Early Voting Ends: Nov. 2
• Absentee Ballot Return: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3
• Drop Boxes Close: 8 p.m. on Nov. 3
• Election Day: Nov. 3 (Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

More information on these dates, applications and locations is available here.

Who Can I Contact With Problems?

The Maryland State Board of Elections is reachable by phone at (410) 269-2840 and (800) 222-8683. The board's email is info.sbe@maryland.gov.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Elections is available at (410) 222-6600. The election officials can also be reached at elections@aacounty.org.

If you have problems voting or have additional questions, the national, nonpartisan Election Protection hotline is available at these numbers and in these languages:

• English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
• Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682)
• Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US (1-844-925-5287)
• Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683

RELATED:

• Tell Patch If You See Election Shenanigans In Anne Arundel County
• Ballot Drop Boxes In Anne Arundel County: Full List, Explanation
• Absentee Ballot Scam Hits Anne Arundel County: Board Of Elections
• Anne Arundel Voter Guide 2020: Candidates, How To Vote, Deadlines

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.