Student researchers are asking voters about their attitudes toward the issues and voting choices amid early voting across Maryland.
Early voting turnout is up across the board compared to the same point in the 2022 general election, Maryland election officials told WBAL-TV 11 News.
So, what’s driving voters in 2026?
Students from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, are conducting exit polling to find out.
“People have definitely been in a pretty good mood this morning. They’re definitely, thankfully, taking our surveys,” said Minuet Hoyt, a UMBC sophomore. “We actually spoke to a woman earlier today who was in the second graduating class ever at UMBC, and so there has definitely been a lot of positive reception once they find out that we’re students and doing this to better understand voting.”
UMBC political science Professor Ian Anson said the polling provides a source of insight apart from election results alone.
“We really construe this project as a kind of public service because what an exit poll can do that pretty much no other survey can do is really understand the motivations of voters as they’ve just left the polling place,” Anson told WBAL-TV 11 News.
Early voting isn’t just taking place in person. Voting by mail continues across Maryland with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots already completed and returned statewide.
Anne Arundel County elections officials resumed canvassing mail-in ballots on Wednesday. They expect more than 60,000 residents to vote by mail by the time the midterm election ends. Elections officials also hope to have 30,000 of the returned ballots counted by the end of Wednesday.
“Everything we can get counted now is going to be one less that we have to count after Election Day,” Anne Arundel County Elections Director David Garreis told WBAL-TV 11 News. “On election night, these will be amongst the first results that we release to the public. Probably around 8:15 (p.m.), we will post our early voting results and these pre-election canvasses — all those results will be the first ones out.”
Thursday marks the eighth and final day of in-person early voting statewide. Marylanders can cast a ballot at early voting centers in their county of residence, which are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to return their mail-in ballot in a drop box or at their local board of elections office.
On Election Day, voters must cast their ballot at their assigned polling place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
