Changing Date of Takoma Park Elections Considered; Public Can Speak Out

TAKOMA PARK, MD — Takoma Park City Council wants to hear from residents on the possibility of changing the date of City elections to coincide with Maryland statewide general elections beginning in 2018. There will be a public hearing at the Takoma Park Community Center on March 1 to discuss these changes.

The City of Takoma Park elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in each odd-numbered year. The City has found off-year elections often have a lower voter turnout.

The City of Baltimore, the Town of Ocean City and the City of Cumberland are other Maryland cities that changed their election date to coincide with State and Federal elections.

In 2015, many Takoma Park voters showed their support for the proposed election date change.

Seventy-six percent of voters supported the change of the date when the City Council placed an advisory question on the ballot for the November 2015 City Election, according to the City.

To enable a change to begin in 2018, the City Charter would need to be amended to: change the date from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years; and set a one-year term for the Mayor and Councilmembers elected in 2017.

With this proposed change, Takoma Park residents would: arrive at their usual precinct on Election Day, check in with Montgomery County election officials, receive, mark and cast a ballet as usual. Then, residents would check in separately with City election officials to receive a Takoma Park ballot to mark and cast at the same location.

Regular two-year terms would resume beginning with the November 2018 election.

Read more about Takoma Park election synchronization here.

The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 1. Attend the meeting, or email your comments or questions to clerk@takomaparkmd.gov to have your voice heard.

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