Less than 100 Registered Voters Needed Before Harford County Qualifies for Two More Early Voting Locations

From the League of Women Voters of Harford County:

In order to qualify for an expansion of early voting locations in Harford County from one (Bel Air Library) to three, the Harford County Board of Elections must have 150,000 confirmed registered voters by the extended deadline of August 1, 2011. At this time, less than 100 registered voters are still needed. However, the list of registered voters is purged on an ongoing basis as required by law.

The National Voting Rights Act (NVRA) regulates the process of not only registering voters and conducting elections but also how to maintain updated lists of active voters in any geographic area. The Board of Elections receives information on deceased voters and voters with a criminal sentence from multiple governmental sources. Voters who have changed their name through marriage or other method may still vote with their former name, but they will vote on a provisional ballot. The Board of Elections mails specimen (sample) ballots before each election through the US Postal Service.

If ballots are returned because the voter moved out of the State of Maryland, the Board of Election is authorized to remove their name from the local list. If they moved within the State of Maryland, The Board of Elections is required to obtain a signature before the name is removed.

Voters who have not gone to the polls for two general election cycles will become “inactivated”. They can still vote in the next election, but they will have to fill out a provisional ballot. More importantly, inactive status voters will not be counted toward the required 150,000 total required for additional early voting in Harford County.

To check voting eligibility and registration, citizens can go to the Harford County Board of Election website, www.harfordvotes.info, and click the “Verify Your Registration” box. Citizens can also call the Harford County Board of Elections at 410-638-3565 to get this information. It is the voter’s responsibility to report changes to the Board of Elections.

The important thing is that Harford County has 150,000 verified registered voters by August 1, 2011. Whether or not you used the early voting opportunity during 2010, this is a major step forward in making voting convenient for people who cannot get to their polling place on Election Day.