Maryland officials say the state set a record number of voters during early voting

November 3, 2016 was the last day to vote early in Maryland.

More than 800,000 people turned out at polls during early voting in Maryland, setting a record, and almost doubling the number of early voters in the 2012 Election.

It also means over 20% of the state’s registered voters will have cast ballots before Election Day itself. 

The Election Director of Wicomico County, Anthony Gutierrez, gives a lot of the credit to expanded access, such as the number of days and hours increasing.

From a local perspective, Wicomico County had 11, 400 voters in early voting compared to 6,400 four years ago.

Gutierrez says, “That means 11,000 Wicomico county voters will not be standing in line on election day. In Wicomico county particularly with a 2-page ballot and 11 ballot questions. The better prepared our voters are before they go to the polling place the quicker those lines are going to move.”

In Somerset County, polling stations saw over 2,700 voters, while Dorchester welcomed 3,800 which is a 46% increase.

Salisbury University Political Science professor Sarah Surak tells 47 ABC that in the past several elections a big turnout for early voting usually indicates a big turnout on election day itself.

Surak says this election is important because it will shape the next four to eight years in substantial ways. She says, “For example the new president coming in will immediately be appointing a new supreme court justice, which has a very long term implication way after they’re in office.”

To vote on November 8th in Delmarva, the hours will be between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.