Key Information About the Upcoming Midterm Elections

In just a few days, our nation will decide who will be our representatives for the next two years. The midterm elections take place halfway through the president’s term in office. Here, voters decide who they want to represent them in government, whether on the federal, state, or local level. On November 3rd, midterm election ballots will be filled out all across the country, including in the gyms at Oakland Mills High School. Here is some important information to know before going to vote in this election.

Anyone wishing to vote must first be registered. To register, a voter must be a citizen of Maryland and the U.S., and must be 16. People can register to vote when they are 16, but they cannot vote until they are 18. People can either use Maryland’s Online Voter Registration System, or they can go to a location given on the Maryland State Board of Elections Voter Registration website to register in person. After they register, the voter on general election day would need to go to their assigned polling location. The voter must present a valid ID in order to be admitted to vote.

It is recommended that voters and non-voters alike do research on the issues that impact their area so they are aware of what is happening. Mr. Loyola, a government teacher here at OM, recommends that people research the issues that impact their community: “As a citizen, you should always know what is happening… You don’t need to be involved, but you should at least know what’s happening, right? You don’t want to be in the scenario where you’re caught off guard…”. If someone does decide to vote, when researching the candidates for the election, Mr. Loyola recommends looking into the candidate’s platform and their history. That way, the voter will know whether the candidate will be likely to stay true to their word if they get elected to office.

According to BallotPedia, the only legislative chairs that are up for election in the state of Maryland are the eight House of Representatives seats. For District Three, which holds the Oakland Mills residency, the candidates for the House chair are Sarah Elfreth, the Democratic candidate, and Bernard Flowers, the Republican candidate. Sarah Elfreth holds the District Three House seat currently.

The candidates for the House of Representatives may change depending on what district someone resides in. People can put their address into BallotPedia to learn who is on the ballot and what issues are addressed in the questions on the ballot in their area.

In the state of Maryland, there are various state positions that are up for election: Governor, Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor, the Attorney General of Maryland, Maryland Comptroller, Maryland State Senators, Maryland House of Delegates, Circuit Court Judge, Appellate Court of Maryland Judge, and Maryland Supreme Court Justice.

For positions such as the Maryland State Senators and the Maryland House of Delegates, the people that live in the Oakland Mills area vote for the candidates running for District 13. Amy Brooks, an English teacher here at Oakland Mills High School, is running against Pam Lanman Guzzone, Gabriel Moreno, and Mark Fisher for the three seats available for District 13. On top of the state positions that are up for election, there are also three questions on the ballot that, if the voters pick yes, would create new laws.

For question one, it asks whether or not a new amendment should be included in the Maryland Constitution that would require the governor to incorporate the deals made by unions for state employees into the governor’s budget. By voting “yes” to this question, all benefits that the unions agree on will have to be included as a part of the budget.

Question two on the ballot asks whether an amendment should be passed to allow the chair of the Commission on Judicial Disabilities to allow a former member, a current member, or a member chosen by the governor to fill a vacant position for the Commission on Judicial Disabilities. If a majority votes “yes,” then vacant positions in the commission will be filled in one of those three ways.

Question three on the ballot asks to add an amendment that states that the drawing of congressional districts does not have to follow the same restrictions from the Maryland Constitution as the drawing of the state district lines. By voting “yes,” the Maryland Constitution boundaries set for state redistricting would not necessarily apply to congressional districts.

According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, there are 12 local positions up for election in Howard County: County Executive, five County Council seats, State’s Attorney, Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Register of Wills, and the County Sheriff. The candidates for the County Executive are Vanessa Atterbeary, the Democratic candidate, and Nater Kane, the Green Party candidate. The current County Executive, Calvin Ball, is leaving his position after serving his maximum two terms in office. For the County Council, the Oakland Mills residence in the Councilmanic District 2 only has Jessica I. Nichols running for the County Council seat.

No matter if someone votes or not, this election will cause shifts within the government on all levels. Policies will change, and the issues politicians focus on will adjust. Even if the voter does not have a stake in this upcoming election, it is vital for them to be aware of what is occurring in the government so they can decide whether or not they would want to make a change.