The county’s Board of Elections (BOE) unanimously voted to have 14 early voting sites for the 2024 elections.
The board voted to maintain the same early voting locations as during the 2022 elections, and voted to request approval from the county executive and county council to use 14 sites.
Board President David Naimon (D) said he considers the proposal to be “a mixture of continuity and change from what we did in 2022.” Although the same sites were proposed, Naimon said several sites were proposed to move to larger spaces within the buildings for part or all of early voting. He noted presidential election years usually have the largest turnout.
For example, early voting at the Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville will move from a social hall to the gym.
In Damascus, early voting will take up the entire gym rather than a portion, partly to “be ready for the possibility of higher turnout in Damascus this year,” Naimon said. He said both the local and national Republican Parties are encouraging people to consider early voting in 2024.
Board Member Diane Nash Dillon (R) said she is particularly supportive of the early voting sites because she believes the “gold standard for voting is in-person — early in-person is absolutely the platinum standard — to make sure your vote is in and there are the fewest steps between you and having it accurately counted.”
The 14 early voting sites are:
- Activity Center at Bohrer Park
- Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center
- Damascus Community Recreation Center
- Executive Office Building
- Germantown Community Recreation Center
- Lawton Community Recreation Center
- Praisner Community Recreation Center
- Midcounty Community Recreation Center
- Dacek North Potomac Community Recreation Center
- Potomac Community Recreation Center
- Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Station
- Silver Spring Civic Building
- Wheaton Library and Community Recreation Center
- White Oak Community Recreation Center
Three alternative sites were also approved in case of emergency.
The board must review its list of early voting centers every two years and send recommendations to the state elections board.
Early voting for the 2024 presidential primary election starts in May.
