Washington County, MD Primaries: Early Voting Trends and Mail-In Ballots Surge

HAGERSTOWN, MD News (5/10/2024) – As the 2024 primaries in Washington County, MD, approach conclusion, early voting numbers and mail-in ballot requests provide insights into voter engagement and preferences. With a total of 101,067 registered voters as of April 30, 2024, the county witnessed 3,808 individuals casting their votes early, representing 3.7% of registered voters, comparable to the 2016 Presidential election early voting statistics.

The distribution of early voters across different polling stations delineates varying levels of turnout. The County Election Center in Hagerstown recorded 2,877 early voters, followed by 540 at Boonsboro American Legion and 391 at Smithsburg Library. In terms of party affiliation, 1,206 Democrat voters participated in early voting, while 2,456 Republican voters exercised their right, along with 146 other/unaffiliated voters.

Comparing these figures with the 2022 primaries reveals nuanced shifts in voter behavior. Although 2022 saw a lower overall early voting turnout of 3,081 voters, the distribution favored Republicans with 2,095 voters compared to 986 Democrats. However, due to the distinction between presidential and gubernatorial election years, direct comparisons are cautioned.

To provide a broader context, examining the 2016 primaries underscores significant variations. In 2016, Washington County recorded 35,662 primary voters, indicating a substantial decline by 2022 with only 22,161 voters. Notably, in 2016, early voting accounted for 3.7% of registered voters, with 1,883 Republicans and 1,429 Democrats participating. The shift observed since 2016, particularly with 573 more Republicans utilizing early voting, indicates evolving electoral dynamics, including Republicans utilizing early voting more, as well as Democrats either shifting towards mail-in voting, or simply not voting at all similar to what was seen in previous elections when Democrats were disgruntled towards their own party.

As the Washington County Board of Elections processes mail-in ballots, the surge in requests reflects a growing trend. Over 11,000 mail-in ballot requests were received, with 6,500 ballots already counted according to a representative of the Board of Elections who spoke with us over the phone. Comparatively, the 2022 primaries witnessed 5,912 mail-in votes, illustrating a marked increase attributable to the presidential election year. However, the fulfillment of all requests remains uncertain, as not all requested ballots are guaranteed to be returned by the requestors.

The conclusion of early voting on May 9, 2024 was unfortunately not known to everyone, with approximately 20 individuals showing up today at the Board of Elections in Hagerstown to vote a day after early voting had concluded. These individuals were redirected to cast their vote on primary election day.

In Maryland, the official primary election day is Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Details regarding candidates for local offices can be found at our 2024 Election Coverage page.

Story by Ken Buckler, President, RFHC.