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Democratic Party primaries in Maryland, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 25 - Nov. 1
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Only during early voting period
- Voter ID: No ID required generally
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]
Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Maryland on June 26, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- Maryland's 6th Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 26 Democratic primary)
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
Democratic primary candidates- Ben Cardin (Incumbent) ✔
- Erik Jetmir
- Chelsea Manning
- Marcia Morgan
- Jerry Segal
- Richard Vaughn
- Debbie Wilson
- Lih Young
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 2
Democratic primary candidates- Dutch Ruppersberger (Incumbent) ✔
- Jake Pretot
District 3
Democratic primary candidates- John Sarbanes (Incumbent) ✔
- Adam DeMarco
- John Rea
- Eduardo Rosas
District 4
Democratic primary candidates- Anthony G. Brown (Incumbent) ✔
District 5
Democratic primary candidates- Steny Hoyer (Incumbent) ✔
- Dennis Fritz
District 6
Democratic primary candidates- Andrew Duck
- George English
- Chris Graves
- Nadia Hashimi
- Christopher Hearsey
- Roger Manno
- Aruna Miller
- David Trone ✔
District 7
Democratic primary candidates
District 8
Democratic primary candidates- Jamie Raskin (Incumbent) ✔
- Utam Paul
- Summer Spring
State elections
Maryland Party Control: 1992-2025
Twenty-two years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial elections
Democratic primary candidates
- Rushern Baker III
- Ralph Jaffe
- Ben Jealous ✔
- James Jones
- Richard Madaleno
- Alec Ross
- Jim Shea
- Krishanti Vignarajah
Not on ballot
- Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County executive[9]
Attorney general election
Democratic primary candidates
- Brian Frosh (Incumbent) ✔
State party overview
- See also: Democratic Party of Maryland
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Maryland's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.
| Democratic Party of Maryland revenue, 2011 to 2016[10][11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Federal account | State account(s) | Total |
| 2011 | $1,833,759.41 | $60,953.25 | $1,894,712.66 |
| 2012 | $580,621.86 | $53,550.00 | $634,171.86 |
| 2013 | $580,621.86 | $29,600.00 | $610,221.86 |
| 2014 | $1,692,834.45 | $718,030.00 | $2,410,864.45 |
| 2015 | $600,431.99 | $68,997.34 | $669,429.33 |
| 2016 | $1,367,046.52 | $52,255.00 | $1,419,301.52 |
Maryland compared to other states
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
Maryland was one of five states to hold a primary election on June 26, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maryland utilizes a closed primary system. Although parties may hold open primaries, parties generally permit only registered party members to vote in their primaries.[12][13]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Maryland, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[14]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
According to the Maryland State Board of Elections, to register to vote in Maryland, one must be a United States citizen and Maryland resident who is at least 16 years old. Although a 16-year-old can register to vote, he or she cannot vote in an election unless he or she will be 18 at the time of the next general election (i.e., 17-year-olds are permitted to vote in primary elections, so long as they'll be 18 by the time of the corresponding general election).[15]
Maryland allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.[15]
Voters may register online, by mail, or in person at one of the following locations:[15]
- Local board of elections
- The State Board of Elections
- Local Department of Health office
- Maryland Department of Human Services local offices
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) offices
- Local Area Agency on Aging offices
- MTA Paratransit Certification Office
- All public institutions of higher education
- Recruitment offices of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Marriage license offices
- Offices for students with disabilities at all Maryland colleges and universities
Automatic registration
Maryland automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Motor Vehicle Administration.[16]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Maryland has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[16]
Same-day registration
Maryland allows same-day voter registration.[16]
Residency requirements
Maryland law requires 21 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Mayland does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
Several local jurisdictions in Maryland permit noncitizens to vote in at least some local elections. These jurisdictions maintain separate voter registration systems for noncitizen voters. See here for more information.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[17] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The voter lookup page, run by the Maryland Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Maryland does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases.[18]
A voter will be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:
- The voter registered by mail and did not provide proper identification;
- The voter’s identity is challenged; or
- The voter registers to vote during early voting or changes his or her address during early voting.
The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the Maryland Attorney General's voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
OR, if you do not have those forms of ID: a utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows your name and address and is less than 3 months old. If you are showing ID because you are voting for the first time, your name and address on the document must match the information on the voter registration roll.[19] |
” |
Early voting
Maryland permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Maryland. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[20]
To receive an absentee/by-mail ballot in the mail, an application must be submitted by at least seven days prior to the election, whether by mail, in-person, or by fax or email. To print an absentee/mail-in ballot at home, the application must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day.
A returned absentee/mail-in ballot must then be postmarked on or before Election Day if submitted by mail and received by 10 a.m. on the tenth day after the election. Ballots can also be returned in person until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.[20]
See also
| Federal primaries in Maryland | State primaries in Maryland | Maryland state party apparatus | Maryland voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
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Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
- ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
- ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
- ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Ben Cardin raises nearly $1M for 2018 reelection," July 14, 2017
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County executive and Democratic candidate for governor dies of heart attack," May 10, 2018
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports Information," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Republican State Central Committee of Maryland and Democratic State Central Committee of Maryland)
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Maryland Republican State Central Committee and Democratic State Central Committee of Maryland)
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections Website, "Primary Elections," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Rules and Information for Voters," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Introduction," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 25, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Maryland Attorney General, "Voting FAQ," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "Mail-in Voting: Information and Instructions for the 2024 Elections," accessed September 27, 2024
