Election officials are predicting a busy Election Day following a surge in voter participation during the eight-day early voting period.
Approximately 78,631 Baltimore County residents cast ballots in person at one of the county’s 11 early voting centers Oct. 22-29, surpassing the total number of in-person early voters during the June primary.
Requests for mail-in ballots also increased. The local board of elections sent 95,175, compared with 26,486 during the June primary. As of Oct. 30, voters had returned 55,218.
Election officials have begun counting completed ballots they collected from drop boxes and received from walk-ins and by U.S. mail. However, results will not be released until after the polls close on Election Day.
Statewide, 388,810 Marylanders voted during the early voting period.
Offices on the Ballot
Voters will weigh in on a wide range of races, including governor, comptroller, attorney general, state senator and delegates, U.S. representative, county executive, County Council members in nine newly redrawn councilmanic districts, seven elected seats on the Board of Education, state’s attorney, sheriff, clerk of the circuit court, register of wills and several judicial positions.
The Maryland State Board of Elections reminded residents who are not registered to vote that they can register and cast a ballot on Election Day.
“Make sure to bring a document that proves where you live when you attempt to vote at your local polling place or early voting center,” elections officials stated in a press release. More information about voter registration is available here.
Nov. 3 is the final day to cast a ballot in the 2026 gubernatorial election.
Ballot Questions
In addition to choosing candidates, voters will decide several ballot questions addressing the county charter, government financing, binding arbitration in collective bargaining for state employees and congressional redistricting.
Linda Dorsey-Walker, a member of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee representing District 11A, urged voters not to overlook the less-publicized questions on the ballot.
One local question addresses proposed amendments to the County Charter following the expansion of the County Council from seven to nine members. The changes are intended to update charter provisions to reflect the council’s new structure, Dorsey-Walker explained.
“Now that we have made history and expanded the boards from seven council districts to nine council districts, some of the county’s 58 different boards and commissions automatically adapted to that change,” she said. “But a few of them are mentioned in the charter, that their size [of member representatives] will be seven. So the only way to ever expand them to the new number nine is it has to be done by a public vote.”
One of the most consequential statewide questions is Question 3, which seeks to amend the constitutional provisions governing how Maryland’s eight congressional districts can be redrawn. The widely debated proposal could affect congressional representation in the 2028 presidential election.
Supporters and opponents have framed the measure as part of a broader national battle over redistricting. The proposal comes amid President Donald Trump’s efforts to redraw congressional maps in ways that could give Republicans an electoral advantage. Political action committees are pouring millions of dollars into campaigns to influence voters, while federal, state and local elected officials are holding press conferences to make their cases for and against the measure.
On Oct. 31, Gov. Wes Moore joined a get-out-the-vote rally for County Councilman Julian Jones, the Democratic nominee for county executive. If elected, Jones will be the first black county executive of the state’s third largest jurisdiction. Speaking to a gathering at Jones’ campaign office, Moore declared, “We didn’t start this fight, but we’re going to end it.”
County Council Races
The Democratic nominees for Baltimore County Council in the newly redrawn Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 are considered likely to win their races. The contests add another dimension to an election cycle shaped by the expansion and redrawing of the County Council districts. The nine-member council will represent newly configured districts following a controversial redistricting process.
The five County Council races on the eastern side of the county are attracting considerable attention, with most deemed competitive. Six women, including two Black candidates, are seeking seats in Districts 5, 7, 8 and 9.
Board of Education
The Baltimore County Board of Education is a 12-member, nonpartisan body consisting of seven elected members, four gubernatorial appointees and one student member representing Baltimore County Public Schools.
All candidates who ran in the primary advanced to the general election because state law requires at least three candidates to compete in each district. No more than two candidates filed to run in any of the seven districts.
In southwest Baltimore County’s District 1, voters will choose between former educator Candice Logan-Washington and former school board member Lisa Mack. Mack served on the board from 2018 to 2022, a period when some meetings lasted as long as five hours and consultants characterized the board as dysfunctional.
Westside incumbents Jane Lichter of District 2 and Brenda Savoy of District 4 are running unopposed. Among the four districts on the eastern side of the county, Districts 3 and 7 are the most competitive races.
Voters who have not already cast a ballot must report to their assigned polling place on Election Day. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote.
For polling locations, voter information and other election details, visit the Maryland State Board of Elections website.
The final decisions now rest with the voters.