Maryland’s in-person early vote this fall ran 58 percent ahead of the last governor’s race, and the biggest jumps came in Charles and Prince George’s counties, where early turnout nearly doubled, an Inquisitor analysis of unofficial State Board of Elections data shows.
A total of 604,396 voters cast ballots during the eight days of early voting that ended Thursday, compared with 381,972 in the 2022 gubernatorial general election, according to the board’s 2026 and 2022 county reports. That is 14.1 percent of the state’s 4.29 million eligible active voters, up from 9.3 percent four years ago. The final day, Thursday, drew 124,189 voters, which State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis called a record for the last day of early voting in a gubernatorial year, Maryland Matters reported. CBS News Baltimore reported that DeMarinis called it the highest early-vote turnout ever for a gubernatorial election.
Washington suburbs led the growth
Every county’s early vote rose. Charles County’s grew 87 percent, from 11,905 to 22,258, and Prince George’s grew 86 percent, from 52,127 to 96,772, the most early voters of any jurisdiction. Montgomery County’s rose 67 percent, to 93,190. Frederick (79 percent) and Washington (78 percent) counties also outpaced the state.
| County | 2022 | 2026 | Change | 2026 share of eligible voters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles | 11,905 | 22,258 | +87% | 17.1% |
| Prince George’s | 52,127 | 96,772 | +86% | 15.6% |
| Frederick | 16,010 | 28,642 | +79% | 13.8% |
| Washington | 7,384 | 13,112 | +78% | 12.9% |
| Montgomery | 55,942 | 93,190 | +67% | 13.3% |
| Anne Arundel | 38,925 | 63,281 | +63% | 15.1% |
| Baltimore City | 22,392 | 33,389 | +49% | 8.1% |
| Howard | 26,547 | 38,861 | +46% | 16.1% |
| Baltimore County | 55,862 | 78,631 | +41% | 13.4% |
| Statewide | 381,972 | 604,396 | +58% | 14.1% |
Growth was slowest in Garrett (16 percent), Worcester (22 percent), Queen Anne’s (28 percent) and Carroll (30 percent) counties, several of which already had high early-vote rates in 2022. Talbot County again had the highest rate in the state: 24 percent of its eligible voters voted early.
Democrats turned out at a higher rate
By party, 365,824 registered Democrats, 148,200 Republicans and 85,072 unaffiliated voters voted early, according to the board’s party breakdown. Democrats made up 60.5 percent of early voters. That is 16.5 percent of eligible Democrats, compared with 14.7 percent of Republicans and 8.6 percent of unaffiliated voters. Party registration does not show how anyone voted.
Mail-in voting adds to the early total. As of 6 p.m. Friday, voters had requested 658,748 mail-in ballots, according to the board’s request report, and local boards had received 376,967 of the 654,876 sent, according to its sent-and-returned report. Combined, in-person early votes and returned mail ballots already exceed 980,000. About 1.5 million Marylanders voted in all in 2022, Maryland Matters reported.
Nikki Tyree, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Maryland, told Maryland Matters that some voters she has spoken with are responding to actions by the Trump administration, including immigration enforcement. The ballot also includes Question 3, a proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting.
The figures are unofficial and exclude provisional ballots. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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