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September 19, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Biden Wins Talbot County in Final Unofficial Count; First Dem Victory Here Since 1964

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Joe Biden has eked out a narrow victory in Talbot County, according to the final unofficial results, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to win here since 1964, when Lyndon Johnson took the county during his landslide over Republican Barry Goldwater.

Election officials conducted the final canvassing on Friday, when mail-in ballots could be received until 10 a.m.

Biden has 11,062 votes (49%) to 10,946 (48.5%) for President Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent, as of the final unofficial count.

The shift in results over time mirrors similar trends seen nationwide — Trump supporters voted in person (whether on Election Day or during early voting); the majority of Biden voters opted to vote by mail. Nearly 77% of Talbot’s votes for Trump were in person; about 57% of Biden’s votes were by mail.

In Talbot County, early voting was the most popular choice with more than 10,000 voters casting ballots in the days before Election Day. More than 8,500 county residents cast mail-in ballots, an option urged by the Biden campaign due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 2,900 voters went to the polls on Election Day.

Biden outperformed Hillary Clinton by about 7 percentage points. Clinton got 42.1% of Talbot’s vote in 2016; Trump had 52.2%.

In 2012 and 2008, Barack Obama had similar margins of defeat in the county as Clinton. He lost Talbot by more than 12 percentage points against Mitt Romney in 2012; by about 10 percentage points against John McCain in 2008.

Republican George W. Bush won Talbot by nearly 20 percentage points against Democrats John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.

Talbot Voters Back Tax Cap Changes, Keep Residency Requirement for Top Appointees

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A campaign focused on supporting police officers, emergency medical services personnel, and other first responders was successful in getting Talbot County voters to adopt three changes to the county’s property tax revenue cap.

Unofficial results with votes from early voting, election day, and absentee ballots shows passage of Ballot Questions B, C, and D.

Question D, which would allow the county council to temporarily increase the property tax rate above the revenue cap by up to one cent per $100 of assessed value for five years only, was approved 59% to 41% against, based on unofficial results.

Question B, which corrects inaccurate language in the tax cap approved by voters in 1996, had the largest margin of support with 72% voting for the charter amendment and 29% voting against.

Question C, to eliminate a reference to CPI-U, had 68% support. The existing property tax revenue cap limits the annual increase in property tax revenues to 2% or CPI-U, whichever is less.

However, Talbot County voters rejected a proposed charter change that would have allowed a super-majority of the county council to waive a residency requirement for the county attorney, engineer, and planning officer.

Question A was rejected 57% to 43%, according to unofficial results.

The unofficial results posted late Tuesday night after ballots cast on election day were counted largely mirrored the percentages seen in early and absentee voting.

A large number of Talbot County voters opted to cast ballots during early voting or by absentee ballot, with a smaller percentage voting Tuesday on the traditional Election Day.

Minimal Wait as Talbot Voters Go to the Polls

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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.

More Than Half of Md.’s Voters Have Already Cast Ballots

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Just over 2 million ballots had been cast in Maryland by Sunday morning, according to data from the State Board of Elections, meaning roughly half of the state’s 4.1 million electorate has voted so far.

A total of 780,635 Marylanders had voted early after polls closed on Saturday night, according to state data. Combined with the 1,234,806 mail-in ballots returned to local boards of elections so far, 2.015 million ballots have been cast in the state so far.

And by 4 p.m. Sunday, state election officials reported that an additional 55,839 early votes had come in. That would mean that more than half of Maryland’s 4.1 million eligible active voters have cast their ballots so far, without even including provisional ballots.

In 2016, there were 876,843 early votes cast in the state. With more than 830,000 early votes cast by 4 p.m. on Sunday, and with an entire day of early voting left until Election Day, it’s possible that 2020’s early voting count will eclipse early voting in the 2016 presidential election.

Although Marylanders have turned out in record-breaking numbers to vote early, Saturday saw a significant drop in the amount of ballots cast at early voting centers. Not including provisional ballots, 70,707 Marylanders turned out to vote early on Saturday. By comparison, more than 152,000 turned out on the first day of early voting – not including provisional ballots.

With provisional ballots included, more than 161,000 turned out to the polls on the first day of early voting. That broke a single-day early voting turnout record in the state, according to election officials.

Montgomery County Election Officials put out calls for more voters on social media Sunday, reporting that there were “zero lines and zero wait” at the Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville.

Today is the final day of early voting in Maryland. The state’s 81 early voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be more than 300 in-person voting centers open throughout Maryland on Tuesday, Election Day. The centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can report to any voting center in the county where they live.

By Bennett Leckrone

Md. State Board of Elections Offers Advice for Election Day Voting, Reminds Voters of Ballot-Counting Process

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The Maryland State Board of Elections has issued a series of recommendations designed to assist voters who will cast their ballots in person on Election Day. The state elections board also reiterated the ballot-counting schedule to reassure voters that all properly submitted ballots will be counted in the election’s official results.

The board advises all voters who plan to vote in person on Election Day to:

• Double check vote center locations in their jurisdiction as traditional polling locations will not be open due to COVID.

• Check the local weather forecast in their area prior to heading to a vote center and to dress accordingly. If there is a chance of rain in the forecast, voters should bring an umbrella.

• While the best time to vote is between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the State Board encourages voters to be prepared for lines and advises voters to bring items like a folding chair, a snack and a bottle of water.

• Plan ahead to ensure that you are in line by 8 p.m. on Election Day to cast your ballot. Voter centers will remain open to allow all voters who are in line by 8 p.m. to cast their ballot.

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.

Election Day vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any eligible voter who is in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote.

“It is imperative that every eligible Marylander have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote,” said Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone. “Election officials across the state are prepared to keep vote centers open as long as it takes for voters who were in line by 8 p.m. to cast their ballots.”

It is important for voters to recognize that all properly cast ballots will be counted in the election’s official results. Due to the variety of ways ballots are being submitted this year, some voters’ ballots will not show on the state’s online ballot tracker as counted until after Election Day. For example, properly completed mail-in ballots postmarked by November 3 will be accepted until November 13. Properly completed ballots placed in authorized ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on November 3 will also be accepted; however, based on when ballots are submitted and the overall volume of ballots received, some ballots will not show on the online tracker as having been counted until after Election Day.

“Some voters will understandably be concerned that a ballot they submitted prior to Election Day is not showing as counted on the ballot tracker by November 3,” Lamone said. “Marylanders should be assured that, if a ballot was properly completed and submitted by the deadline, it will be counted in the election’s official results. While media outlets may ‘call’ the election on election night, that determination is not based on an official count of ballots received. Due to the nature of this election, counting will continue for some time after Election Day.”

While canvassing of ballots — which includes the opening and counting of ballots — could begin on October 1, results of ongoing canvassing will be embargoed until vote centers close on Election Day. After vote centers close on Election Day, results from early voting (October 26 to November 2) and results from mail-in ballots counted up to Election Day will be released. In subsequent hours on Election Night, results from in-person Election Day voting will be released.

After Election Day, updated results will be released each day that ballots are counted. Not all counties may count ballots every day, but updates will be provided every day that ballots are counted. Counting of provisional ballots will start on the second Thursday after the election. These results will be announced when they are counted.

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.