School is out and the first official day of summer is next Thursday. Despite the ocean of signs around the area, most people are not thinking about an election, but it’s important to remember voting should be on your early summer to-do list.
Maryland’s primary election is set for Tuesday, June 26. Early voting, however, opened yesterday and will continue to be offered until Thursday, June 21. In Worcester County, the early voting site is Gull Creek in Berlin. The Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center is the early voting polling place in neighboring Wicomico.
Voting is a privilege. It’s crucial citizens do their part and participate in the process of electing officials to represent them in office.
In Worcester, this primary is pivotal. Recent history shows us primaries, typically held in September, see poor voter turnout. A look at recent history shows about 30% less voters turn out for primary elections than general elections. It’s imperative that not be the case this month. Too much is riding on the primary elections this year.
In Worcester County, two local law enforcement posts will be decided in the primary since all registered candidates are from the same party. With Worcester County Sheriff Reggie Mason retiring, his successor will essentially be decided since four Republicans are seeking the post and no Democrats came forward. It’s the same scenario for the Worcester County State’s Attorney position as two Republicans are looking to officially replace Beau Oglesby, who is now a Worcester County Circuit Court judge.
From a regional perspective, Mary Beth Carozza’s seat in the House of Delegates District 38C, which encompasses much of northern Worcester County except the heart of Berlin, is being sought by four Republican hopefuls. With no Democrat on the ballot, the primary will decide the election.
Summer is the busy season around here for everyone. Working folks and business owners are busy throughout the season making their livelihoods while the weather is warm. Even those who are retired have distractions from hosting family and friends during the beach season.
We implore all our citizens to put aside these distractions and make time to vote between now and Thursday or wait until Tuesday, June 26. We counted how long it took us to vote yesterday morning. It took four minutes to get out of the vehicle, go through the process and get back on the road. It’s worth the time and an important responsibility.
