Election Day is Tuesday, and Montgomery County voters are facing decisions in several pivotal, closely watched local, state and national races.
In addition to the presidential race between front-runners Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R), races on the ballot include those for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well for county judges and the Montgomery County Board of Education. Voters also will decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, and if term limits for the county executive should change. Find information about the candidates in the MoCo360 2024 Voters Guide.
Depending on your district, you may be voting in the Congressional District 6 or District 8 races. You can find your district by entering your address on the Maryland General Assembly’s lookup tool.
While voters could cast a ballot at any early voting center, they must vote at their assigned precinct on Election Day. You can check where you should vote on the state elections board website. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you missed the Oct. 15 advanced voter registration deadline, you may register in person Tuesday at your assigned polling place. You must have a document that proves where you live, such as a Maryland driver’s license, an ID card, a change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document with your name and address. You can vote immediately after registering.
However, you may be directed to file a provisional ballot so your identification can be verified. If you’re already registered to vote, you cannot change your party affiliation at same-day registration.
Returning mail-in ballots
Over 40% of Montgomery County voters have already cast their ballot, whether through in-person voting or mail-in ballots. But according to the Montgomery County Board of Elections, the board has not received about 70,000 ballots that were mailed to registered voters .
County elections board President David Naimon noted Sunday in a news release that voters have three options for returning a mail-in ballot: depositing it in one of 58 official election drop boxes located throughout the county, mailing it or by taking it to any of county’s 232 polling places.
Naimon said the “harder way” to vote is by not filling out a mail-in ballot and coming in person instead.
“If a voter who requested a mail-in ballot chooses to vote in-person on Election Day, the voter will have to vote a provisional ballot that requires completing additional paperwork, possibly waiting in an additional line, and spending more time at the polling place,” he said.
According to the county elections board, provisional ballots will be counted after Election Day after elections officials confirm the voter is eligible and has not already voted.
Election officials may accept mail-in ballots as long as they are postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Voters can check the status of their mail-in ballot here.
You can find a list of dropbox sites on the Board of Elections website, or find the closest one to your location by texting BOX plus your ZIP code (example: BOX 20879) to 77788.
Free bus rides; county closures
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will be offering free bus rides on all county buses on Election Day. Residents in need of a ride to the polls are encouraged to use Ride On Trip Planner app to find the best route to their precinct as well as bus schedules.
All Montgomery County Public Schools and offices will be closed for the election. Some county recreational facilities that are serving as polling places on Tuesday will be impacted by the election but will not be closed. According to the county’s Parks and Recreation department, access to some amenities on site, including parking, may be impacted.
Affected sites include:
- Clara Barton Neighborhood Recreation Center;
- Damascus Senior Center;
- Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Recreation Center;
- East County Community Recreation Center;
- Longwood Community Recreation Center;
- Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center;
- Marilyn J. Praisner Community Recreation Center;
- Mid-County Community Recreation Center;
- Nancy H. Dacek North Potomac Community Recreation Center;
- Potomac Community Recreation Center;
- Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center; and
- White Oak Community Recreation Center.
Visitors planning to use the recreation facilities are encouraged to call before visiting, to contact customer service at 240-777-6840 or to visit the website, www.mocorec.com, to keep informed about what services and facilities are available.
