Early Bird Gets the Vote

Del. Susan Aumann shrugs off the threat of showers as she hands out flyers and shakes hands with voters, who trickle in on this Friday morning about as lightly as the rain, sprinkled among Towson University students and staffers.

The 42nd District Republican is swapping shifts with her running mates at the polls as they learn the ropes of early voting.

"Because it's such a new thing, we're not sure how the outcomes will be," she said.

This is the first time early voting has been allowed in a Maryland election season, and Towson University's Administration Building is one of five early voting polling places in Baltimore County. Early voting is available through Thursday ahead of the Sept. 14 primary.

Voters can come to Towson to vote from all over central and northern Baltimore County, and so the Administration Building parking lot has more signs than parking spaces during this election cycle.

Rodgers Forge resident Robert Eads, 84, was one of the early voters on Monday. He said the process was "decidedly" quicker than voting on election day.

"It certainly saves a lot of time. My polling place is Dumbarton Middle School and it's much more convenient here," he said.

Eads, however, is one of few. According to statistics released by the state board of elections, only 5,750 of 416,139 eligible Baltimore County voters had taken the opportunity to vote early as of Wednesday morning.

Donald F. Norris, chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said research in other states hasn't shown any significant rise in overall turnout from early voting.

"People don't vote because they can vote a week or two prior to the election. They vote because they are motivated by the candidates and the campaigns," he said.

Indeed, turnout in Towson has been light, with only a handful of voters each day and most of the crowds coming around lunch time. But that doesn't stop the throngs of volunteers and candidates armed with flyers, signs and chairs. Bill Paulshock, a 5th District Democratic candidate for Baltimore County Council, is hoping better weather and the end of the holiday travel season increase response.

"The rest of the week, we're kind of anticipating a larger turnout when people come home from work, but it's been a good turnout," he said.

Though studies in other states showed only a minimal increase in voter turnout, Paulshock added, "One vote's important, so you'll see me out here every day."