Minimal Wait as Talbot Voters Go to the Polls

Talbot residents had very little wait time mid-morning Tuesday at the Easton firehouse as voters went to the polls to cast ballots on Election Day.

Those who decided to vote on Election Day saw clear, sunny skies.

At the firehouse, two men held signs urging voters to cast ballots for Questions B, C, and D, which would amend the county’s property tax revenue cap.

A campaign in favor of those three ballot questions has focused on the cap’s effect on public safety and emergency services, with the county’s emergency services director and sheriff noting difficulties in hiring and keeping personnel due to better wages and benefits in other counties.

Signs direct voters to the polls at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, where masks and social distancing are required. The firehouse also is the site of an election drop box. Photo by John Griep

Polls are open until 8 p.m. Any eligible voter who is in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote.

In Talbot County, Election Day vote centers are located at the bingo hall at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, the Easton High School cafeteria, the St. Michaels Middle/High School gymnasium, and the Tilghman Volunteer Fire Department.

The Maryland State Board of Elections had encouraged Marylanders to double check vote center sites and plan for the weather and potential waits by bringing a folding chair, snack, water bottle, and appropriate outerwear.

The board asks voters who plan to vote in person to wear a mask. Voters who arrive at vote centers without masks will be offered one; voters who have a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask will be requested to vote a provisional ballot outside of the voting room to protect other voters and election judges.

The number of voters permitted inside a vote center at any one time may be limited in order to maintain social distancing.

For voters who missed the advance voter registration deadline, same-day registration is available at Election Day vote centers. To prove their place of residence, Marylanders registering in person on Election Day will need to bring their Motor Vehicle Administration-issued driver’s license, identification card or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that includes the voter’s name and new address.