Gaithersburg Council Candidates: How To Vote On Nov. 5

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 for Gaithersburg residents. This is the first election cycle in which the city is allowing same-day voter registration and write-in candidates to run in the race.

Since this year's municipal election is different, Patch has compiled a guide to help residents better understand the voting process and the candidates on the ballot.

Who is Running?

Six people vying for three seats on city council. Neil Harris, Ryan Spiegel, and Robert Wu are the incumbents in this race. Their terms of office expire in November.

The other three are write-in candidates. They are: Carol Johnson, Juan Aguirre, and Nicole S. Ukiteyedi.

All at-large council members are elected to a four-year term.

How does voting work?

Residents who are registered to vote in Montgomery County are automatically registered to vote in the city's elections.

Those registering at the polls on Tuesday must show an approved form of identification and will be casting provisional ballots, according to city officials. Once the voter's identification is verified, the provisional ballot will be counted. For information on voter eligibility contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections at 240-777-VOTE (8683) or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/elections.

The city also provides absentee voting. Absentee ballots can be downloaded online or picked up at City Hall. All ballots must be mailed or dropped off no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7.

There are six polling sites. Click here to find your polling site.

How Can I See the Results?

From city officials:

"As soon as they have been tabulated, the unofficial results of the November 5, 2019 election will be read live by the Chair of the Board of Supervisors of Elections in the City Hall Gallery. We anticipate that this will take place at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. The unofficial results will also be posted on the City's website at gaithersburgmd.gov, on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter @GburgMD, and on GTV, the City's cable channel, Comcast and RCN 13 and Verizon FiOS 25, viewable within the City limits.

The results are not official until certified by the Board of Supervisors of Elections, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 12. Elected candidates are scheduled to be sworn in at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 18, 2019 at City Hall."