Early Voting begins in Cecil County

COLORA — Early voting for the 2024 Primary Election began Thursday, allowing residents to making an early decision on their candidates for county council and county executive here at home and for congress and senate seats for the state as well as the presidential race nationally.

Early voting is open from May 2 through May 9, 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., weekends included.

Donna Halliday said since she has retired early voting has become her method of choice over going to the polls on election day.

“It’s less busy,” the Colora woman said, adding, “The people are well trained, very helpful and they smile.”

As of 1 p.m. more than 70 had come to the church gymnasium. One of the polling employees said she worked the last election cycle and thinks this election is getting more voters.

“I think we’re getting more this year than we did at Cecil Arena ... probably because of the presidential race,” she said.

This is the second time the county has made two sites available. While early voting began in 2010 it wasn’t until the 2022 election that the Cecil County Board of Elections added a second site along with the Cecil County Administration Building at 200 Chesapeake Boulevard in Elkton. In 2022 polls were set up at Cecil Arena in North East. This year the second site is at Rising Sun Church of the Nazarene, 2626 Jacob Tome Highway in Colora.

On their way in to vote Debbie and Richard Madron also said they favor early voting

“We did it last time,” Debbie, from Colora, said. “It’s easier and we’re not having to deal with the crowds.”

According to Gary Holmes, director of the Cecil County Board of Elections, there are 72,182 voters registered. Of those, 34,474 are Republican and 19,037 are Democrat with another 17,244 unaffiliated. Holmes said 900 voters changed their affiliation in the last month, but added he could not speculate on the reason.

Primary election day is set for Tuesday, May 14. For those voting by mail, mail-in ballots must be postmarked or dropped in a designated drop box by 8 p.m. on May 14.