Voters in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District are in for a new first on Tuesday as they choose someone to fill the remainder of the term of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings. The election will be conducted almost entirely by mail.
Gov. Larry Hogan made the call in March to switch to mail-in ballots to protect voters and poll workers because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Those ballots must be postmarked on or before April 28 and received by your local election office by 10 a.m. May 8. Postage is paid on the return envelope. View a sample ballot here.
In addition, the State Board of Elections has announced that voters can return ballots to a drop box by 8 p.m. on April 28. The drop boxes will be located at the three election offices in the 7th District (Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County.)
Drop boxes will also be available on election day at the three in-person polling centers below. These polling centers are for people who are not able to vote by mail.
In-person polling locations
The voting centers will be open April 28 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For Baltimore City voters who live in the 7th Congressional District:
Edmondson High School
501 N. Athol Avenue
Baltimore 21229
For Baltimore County voters who live in the 7th Congressional District:
Martin’s West
6817 Dogwood Road
Windsor Mill 21244
For Howard County voters who live in the 7th Congressional District:
Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairgrounds Road
West Friendship 21794
Candidates
The election to replace Cummings, a 13-term congressman who died in October, drew an unusually large field of candidates running to represent the district, which includes parts of Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County.
The special primary on Feb. 4 winnowed that down to two, Republican Kimberly Klacik and Democrat Kweisi Mfume, who are competing in the April 28 contest.
Klacik, the founder of a non-profit, is a member of the Baltimore County Republican Central committee. She describes herself in her Twitter profile as “Pro-Trump” and “Anti-Squad,” referring to four freshman congresswomen of color who have been sharply criticized by President Trump.
Mfume represented the district for 10 years, from 1986 to 1996 before resigning to become president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a post he held until 2004 after an internal investigation alleged that he had sexually harassed female subordinates.
Whoever wins that race--and the State Board of Elections says they will certify the results by May 8-- will have to run again in Maryland’s regular presidential and local primaries, including primaries for mayor, city council president and other offices in Baltimore City.
The 7th Congressional District field in that race is almost as crowded as the special primary, with six republicans and 19 Democrats who have filed to run. Among those Democrats are Cummings’ widow Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, and State Senator Jill Carter.
That primary has been moved to June 2. Early voting will begin May 21 and run through May 28. More information here.
