Election Countdown 7 Hours Left

Well unfortunately my efforts to post every day about the election have failed but that doesn't make today any less important.  In just a few hours (I started this at 1 AM, there will be even less hours until voting time by the time I finish), polls will be opening up on the East Coast.  In many races, tightly contested seats will be won and lost based on who shows up.  The Eastern Shore District (MD-1) is an example of why your vote matters.  In 2008, Frank Kratovil beat Andy Harris by only 1,000 votes on election day.  Any surge for either party could have easily decided that election.  And it's still tight this year with the possibility of the district going either way.

But candidates alone aren't the only reason to go to the polls today.  In Montgomery County, a hotly contested ambulance fee is being put on referendum.  This fee would charge $300-800 for ambulance rides to provide additional funds for the County budget.  This issue will likely be one of the largest draws for people to show up to the polls today in Montgomery County since most of the seats are already locked up.

However, Montgomery County is the only county to have a major referendum coming up.  Anne Arundel County will be voting on another contested issue of whether there should be slot machines at Anne Arundel Mall.  This issue was already voted on by Maryland voters to allow the legislature to constitutionally allow slot machines but this referendum could decide the fate of slots in Maryland.

One of the most interesting ballot measures going on in Maryland is the Constitutional Convention.  Every 20 years, Maryland is required by law to allow voters to vote on creating a constitutional convention.  This is rooted in the idea of the Founding Fathers that the constitution should be reexamined every generation.  So this election could decide the state of the constitution for the next 20 years.

There are several other ballot measures going on in the state of Maryland and the counties which are all listed here.

Of course the biggest election in Maryland will be that of the governor.  Current governor Martin O'Malley is entering a rematch with former governor Robert Ehrlich.  In 2006, O'Malley won 52-46 but this year it looks to move farther in favor of O'Malley with current polls ranging from +5 to +14.  However, that isn't any less reason to vote as any motivated electorate base could swing the race more towards Ehrlich's favor.  For a quick rundown of what the different candidates are offering check out this Washington Post article about the candidate's messages.

Finally, if you don't know where you are registered to vote or where your polling location is, head over to your state board of elections.  Here's Maryland's for those of you that need it.

And for those of you that are interested in elections nationwide, here's some election day excitement for you.