Election Day nears; early voting underway –

by Judith Hruz

Editor

Montgomery County officials are encouraging voters to cast ballots early to avoid long lines and as a coronavirus safety measure.

Election officials are expecting a larger than usual number of voters, but anyone who wants to vote and is in line before the polls close will be allowed to vote.

“No matter how many people are in line, we will service all of them,” Gilberto Zelaya of the Montgomery County Board of Elections said.

He said 39 locations will be open for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

To find a location, voters may text VC and their ZIP code to 77788 and they will receive the closest voting centers, directions and wait times.

As of Oct. 21, the county Board of Elections had processed and scanned 180,660 mail-in ballots, Zelaya said.

Those who requested and received a vote-by-mail ballot must return it through the U.S. Postal Service or take it to an official drop box.

Drop boxes are located around the county, including several in the immediate greater Olney community:

Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department Station, 17921 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring;

James Hubert Blake High School, 300 Norwood Road, Cloverly;

Col. Zadok Magruder High School, 5939 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood; and

Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Layhill

Beginning Oct. 22, drop boxes will be available nearby at:

Longwood Community Recreation Center, 19300 Georgia Ave., Brookeville; and

Sherwood High School, 300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring.

For the list of others, montgomerycountymd.gov.

Anyone who wants to vote at the polls after requesting a ballot by mail will cast a provisional ballot that will not be counted until after Election Day. That is necessary to prevent anyone from being able to vote twice.

Early voting underway

Early in-person voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Nov. 3 at several sites throughout the county.

Early voting began Oct. 26.

Voters may use any of the sites; they do not have to vote at their usual voting site. The sites include:

Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg;

Damascus Community Recreation Center;

Executive Office Building in Rockville;

Germantown Community Recreation Center;

Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase;

Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center;

Mid-County Community Rec Center, 2004 Queensguard Road;

Potomac Community Recreation Center;

Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department;

Silver Spring Civic Building; and

Wheaton Library and Community Recreation Center.

Security measures

Dr. Earl Stoddard, director of Montgomery County Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said his office has been working with local law enforcement to make sure a security plan is in place before, on and in the days following Election Day.

He said on Oct. 21 that there had been no specific threats to Montgomery County or Maryland.

    For more, visit the Board of Elections website at www.777vote.org.