2026 Midterms: Early voters share what brought them out

Wicomico County, Md. — Early voting opened in Maryland Thursday, and plenty of voters got out across Wicomico County to cast their ballots for the 2026 midterm elections before Election Day.

Voters shared several reasons for coming on out early with WMDT– from shorter lines to concerns over issues on Election Day and ensuring their voices heard.

“I wanted to vote early because I am concerned about voter interference and didn’t want to wait until November 3rd, when there might be problems at the polls,” said Elizabeth Ireland, an early voter. 

“I like to do early voting because of the ease of getting in and out. You know, it’s not a big crowd or anything,” said Walter Jones, another early voter.

“Based on what I see online, everybody was early voting so it [their ballot] doesn’t get missed,” said early voter Michael Cannon.

Polling sites had steady traffic Thursday at the start of early voting in Maryland. A top issue for some voters we spoke with was the direction of the country and the divisiveness in politics today.

“I think our democracy is in peril. In my lifetime, I’ve never seen it in this much disarray. And there’s no need for this. We’re a sensible, good people, and we vote generally for good people and people that have humanity at their core,” said early voter Linda Messer.

“For me, the whole of our country is going in the wrong direction,” Jones said. “America was a place where people wanted to make things fair. But right now, we’re not going that way.”

He added that he feels the past two years have been harmful for the Black community and other minority communities. 

For other voters, showing up was about supporting their party.

“Just to keep our party in power,” said Cannon, who shared support for the Republican Party to WMDT. 

David James, a voter, said he started voting four years ago, and what he’s seen has encouraged him to continue supporting his preferred candidates. James donned attire supporting Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano – a Republican – and Republican Governor candidate Dan Cox.

“I’ve noticed since I started voting that things have went better. So, I want to keep the momentum going forward,” said James.

Multiple voters told WMDT they are unhappy with President Trump and Republicans – and wanted to show that with their votes.

“I would say that, for the first time in my life, I voted a straight Democratic ticket because I’ve been concerned about, the way that things have been going,” said Ireland.

“[Issues I care about are] the fuel prices, cost of living. And the cause – it all comes down to the GOP and Trump,” said early voter Jim Ricca. 

Another common theme among the voters was the importance of getting out to vote and participating in the democratic process.

“Don’t think that you don’t matter. Every vote counts,” James said. “And if more people would actually stop thinking that their vote don’t matter, then they will see more changes all around.” 

“It’s critically important, particularly in this term, if you don’t like the direction that this country is taking — come out and vote your conscience. Inform yourself before you vote and, participate in your government or don’t complain about it,” Ireland said.

For Ricca, voting is more than a right, it’s a duty.

“My grandfather used to work for Mussolini in Italy. And one of the things he passed down was, as evil can only prevail as long as good people are willing to stand by and do nothing. I had to come out and vote,” Ricca said.

And for those who aren’t yet registered to vote, there’s still plenty of time. Voters can register and vote same day.

“If they are registered voter, they just come in. That’s all they need to do. And if they’re not a registered voter, they can check out our website so that they can see what requirements they need in order to register to vote,” said Eric Brewington, the Wicomico County chief election judge.

Brewington added that lines aren’t overly long – and most people can be in and out within a few minutes.

Early voting will continue through Thursday, Oct. 29 and polling locations are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

“Any time during then, you can come in. We’re also open on the weekends, so we have weekend hours and availability for those who may not be able to come during those times during the week,” Brewington said. 

For more information on early voting, visit the Maryland early voting webpage.