Politics
Maryland early voting opens with smooth lines at Baltimore County centers
Early voting began Thursday at Baltimore County locations, with officials reporting steady traffic and smooth operations. Unofficial statewide figures showed about 63,000 ballots cast by 4:30 p.m.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore County voters began casting ballots Thursday as Maryland’s early voting period opened for the 2026 midterm elections, with steady traffic at county voting centers and no reported disruptions to the process.
At the Baltimore County Elections headquarters, voters arrived throughout the afternoon. Honeygo Run Community Center in Perry Hall had busier stretches in the morning and around lunchtime, while Honeygo and Randallstown were among the county’s busiest locations, county elections administrator Ruie Lavoie said.
“The voter flow is moving well, and things are good,” Lavoie said, describing the first day as a major test for election operations. She called it “almost our Super Bowl.”
Voter Cindy McNelly said the process was straightforward. “This was, to me, a very streamlined process. Very simple,” she said after voting.
Marylanders can vote early at any early voting center in their county from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Thursday, Oct. 29. Voters may also cast ballots by mail or vote in person on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Completed mail ballots can be returned by post, at an official drop box, to a local election office or early voting center, or at a precinct on Election Day, under recent legal changes.
Unofficial figures showed about 63,000 ballots had been cast statewide by 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The early voting period offers voters an option to cast ballots before Election Day and helps spread voting across multiple days and locations.