Early Voting Numbers Rise - Slightly - in Howard County

Just about the same number of Howard County voters headed to the polls this year to cast an early vote as did two years ago, when early voting began.

As of Wednesday, 4,695 people cast a ballot in Howard County according to the Maryland State Board of Elections - about 2.55 percent of registered voters. That compares to 4,628 at the .

A "light turnout," wasn't a surprise, according to Guy Mickley, the director of the Howard County Board of Elections.

"For a presidential primary that has a returning president on the Democratic side," he said, "this is the turnout I would expect."

State-wide, nearly 60,000 people in Maryland have turned out for early voting this week.

The 59,716 people who turned out as of Wednesday represent 1.38 percent of eligible voters in the state.

Early voting started March 24 and ends at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29. 

The Maryland primary is Tuesday, April 3.

Early voting in the 2010 gubernatorial primary elections, the first year it was in place, netted 2.44 percent voter turnout, or 77,288 of the eligible voters, state election data shows.

Election officials in Maryland predicted the popularity of the program would grow, even though numbers aren’t expected to be high for this primary election.

Statewide, 1,964,655 people are registered Democrats, compared to 935,122 who are registered Republicans.

Mickley predicted overall turnout for the primary would be 20 to 25 percent, “and that may be high.”

Republican presidential candidates have made swings through Maryland this month. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s visits included a stop in , and on Wednesday, Texas Rep. Ron Paul visited the University of Maryland.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was at Salisbury University Tuesday, when he also who were visiting Annapolis.

In terms of overall voter turnout, early voting won’t make much of an impact, said Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of the Department of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

“Virtually nothing improves voting turnout except when people are really, really excited about what’s going on in a campaign,” Norris said in an interview Thursday.

Still, he said, “it makes it easier to vote … and that’s a good thing." 

If you didn't vote early, find your polling place for Tuesday's primary elections.

Below is a selection of early voting turnout numbers and voter turnout percentages at various locations in Maryland as of Wednesday. For a full list, go here.

Prince George’s: 7,668 voters; 1.52% turnout

Howard: 4,695; 2.55%

Anne Arundel: 6,557; 2.46%

Baltimore County: 9,394; 2.27%

Harford: 2,493; 1.97%

Carroll: 1,487; 1.39%

Montgomery: 8,011; 1.38%

State: 59,716; 1.88%