In-person voting for the Maryland primary election started July 7th and runs through July 14th! Please be sure to research the candidates and cast an informed vote.
Since the voting district boundaries and council districts were changed recently, you may be wondering what election districts includes Poolesville. Well, the answer is: It depends. Poolesville, like much of the County, is part of three distinct election districts. In 2022, Maryland citizens will vote not only for US Senate and House of Representatives candidates, but also for all State offices and County offices. There are various district maps which determine which candidates are running to represent all or part of Montgomery County.
Let’s start with the County races. In 2022, Montgomery County will be electing a new County Executive, as well as County Council members, State’s Attorney, Sheriff, Register of Wills, Clerk of the Court, Judges, and members of the Board of Education. In 2021, Montgomery County adopted a new voting district map. Poolesville, formerly part of Council District 1, is now included in Council District 2. District 2 covers most of the Agricultural Reserve as well as Germantown and Damascus. Geographically, it is a very large District. The current Councilmember, Craig Rice, is term limited and will not be on the 2022 ballot. Currently there are four citizens who are registered to run for election to represent District 2. They are Democratic candidates William Roberts (www.williamjroberts.org), Lorna Phillips Forde (Lornaford4-countycouncil.com), and Marilyn Balcombe (marilynbalcombe.com), and Republican candidate Dan Cuda (www.dancudacouncil2.com). In addition to the District 2 Councilperson, you will also be asked to vote for four at-large Council members. We encourage you to look at the platforms and ideas each of these candidates offer and be prepared to cast your vote for the persons you think will best represent your interests, and the interests of our Town and the western part of the County.
There are also County-wide elections that are independent of your voting district. These are all County and local State offices including the County Executive, Sheriff, State’s Attorney, Judges, Register of Wills, and Clerk of the Court. Some other offices on the ballot this year will include the County School Board seats and Democratic and Republican Central Committee representatives.
In the Statewide elections, Poolesville is part of District 15. In addition to the Governor/Lt. Governor, State Attorney General, Comptroller, Court of Special Appeals and Court of Appeals Judges, there are both State Senate and House of Delegates candidates running for election.
In the upcoming Federal congressional and house elections, Poolesville remains in District 6. Maryland is represented in Congress by eight House of Representatives members and two US Senators. Our District is currently represented by Congressman David Trone. All House seats are up for election in 2022. Only one of the two Senate seats, now occupied by Senator Chris Van Hollen, is up for election.
Maryland has a closed primary system, meaning that only persons registered as either a Republican or a Democrat can vote their own parties’ primary. Persons registered as Independent or unaffiliated are not able to vote in the primary election. All registered voters are eligible to vote in the General Election. (Please verify your registration online before election day). The Maryland Primary Election is July 19, 2022. The General Election is November 8, 2022. Maryland allows for no-excuse voting by mail. If you would like to vote by mail in one or both of the upcoming elections, contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections in person or go to elections.maryland.gov to request a mail-in ballot. The deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot for the primary election is July 12th for a ballot delivered by mail; July 15th for a ballot delivered via the internet; or you can pick up a mail in ballot on July 19th– Election Day.
Primary Mail in ballots must be postmarked by 5pm July 19th; be delivered in person to the Board of Elections by 8pm July 19th, or deposited into one of 52 MoCo Ballot droboxes by July 19th at 8pm.
Montgomery County also has 14 approved early voting sites for your convenience, should you opt to vote early in-person. The closest one to Poolesville is the Germantown Community Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, Germantown, MD 20874.
We urge you to be informed about all the candidates for office running both State-wide and locally. Your best sources for information may be the candidates’ websites, information from the League of Women Voters or other non-partisan organizations, and candidate forums sponsored by various organizations. Most importantly, learn about the candidates, make your choice, and VOTE!!