Early Voting Turnout Spikes in Maryland

Midterm elections have a history of having low voter turnout. This year might change that. Early voting closed in Maryland on the evening of Nov. 1, and the State Board of Elections released the turnout results of early voting shortly after the polls closed. Although the results don’t show who voted for whom, the results do show a marked increase in turnout. In the 2018 General Election, over 548 thousand voters participated in early voting, and that number does not count provisional and absentee ballots. That number is a massive increase compared to the turnout in the 2014 midterm elections, where just over 307 thousand voters participated.

Midterm elections might not be as exciting as Presidential elections, but that does not diminish their importance. Nonetheless, this year’s early voting turnout pales in comparison to the 2016 early voting turnout of over 874 thousand voters. These raw numbers look different when compared to the total number of eligible active voters.

Early voting turnout over the past three elections:

• 2014 Midterm Election – 307,646 votes; 8.31% turnout
• 2016 Presidential Election – 874,753 votes; 22.43% turnout
• 2018 Midterm Election – 548,211 votes; 13.86% turnout

Just over a five percent increase in voter turnout between the two midterm elections may not seem like much, but the change in the number of eligible active voters is significant. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of eligible active voters increased by nearly 200 thousand. Between 2016 and 2018, the number of eligible active voters increased by just under 54 thousand. Having an extra 254 thousand extra voters may sway the upcoming midterm election in an unexpected direction.

This spike in early voter turnout may indicate a possible spike in turnout on Election Day, but we will not be sure of the results until the polls close.