What's Happening MoCo?

What Residents Need to Know About Voting in this Election

• Derrick Kenny, Dr. Gilberto Zelaya • Season 9 • Episode 88

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Prepare to be empowered to vote in this year's election with exclusive insights from Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, the Information and Public Relations Officer for the Montgomery County Board of Elections. You'll walk away with a good understanding of the voting options available to you in Montgomery County MD, including early voting, same-day registration, and the essentials of what to bring to ensure a seamless voting experience. Dr. Zelaya demystifies the provisional voting process and underscores the safeguards that protect voter identity, ensuring you head to the polls with confidence. Our conversation sheds light on the voting regulations set by the Maryland State Board of Elections, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all voters.

As Election Day approaches, we guide you through every step of the in-person voting process in Montgomery County, Maryland. From finding your designated polling place with a simple text to 77788, to navigating the polling station with ease, including checking in and choosing your voting method, we've got you covered. Discover the convenience of 58 ballot drop boxes across the county and the importance of being at the right polling place to avoid provisional voting. We also emphasize the accessibility features available for voters with disabilities and encourage you to share your voting experience with Montgomery County's Board of Elections on social media at 777-VOTE. Don't miss this episode, filled with vital information to ensure you're ready to make your voice heard on November 5th.

Speaker 1:

Good day and welcome to what's Happening MoCo, an authentic unscripted podcast from your Montgomery County government. Now here's your host, derek Kenney.

Speaker 2:

Good day, welcome to what's Happening, moco. Today's episode is all about voter empowerment. We're going to make sure that you, the voters of Montgomery County, maryland, are empowered with information. And when we think about empowerment and information and voting, we think about Dr Z, dr Gilberto Zelaya. He's the information and public relations officer for Montgomery County, maryland's Board of Elections. How are you today, sir? Good, energized, empowered, all right, great, great. I think we'll all be empowered after we have this conversation. Major vote coming this year. Yes, we will be voting for the presidential election. There's other major things that people will be voting for and there's always concern in some respects when it comes to voting. People can never have enough information. Sometimes there's surprises for people when they arrive to vote in person, or they thought they could vote at a certain time of year, and all those things. But we're going to clear all of that stuff up, yes, but before we do that, let's talk about you. Okay, you are the PR guy for the Board of.

Speaker 2:

Elections the community guy responsible for educating the public. What is it that you do in your role?

Speaker 3:

So I was blessed to be hired at the Montgomery County Board of Elections since 2003. So I have over two decades, and when I initiated this endeavor, voters had two options to vote. Number one by mail or aka absentee, and you needed a reason to vote in that way, whether it's illness, professional, personal endeavors, et cetera. And then the other opportunity was in person voting, which was basically election day. Now, my responsibility I serve as a liaison between Montgomery County's diverse electorate. We have a wonderful electorate where we have individuals that are multidimensional, multicultural, multigenerational. We have to look at our seniors as well as our new voters. We have to look at our diverse electorate because many are newly naturalized and they're not maybe familiar with the way we run elections in the state of Maryland.

Speaker 3:

Keep in mind full disclosure. We follow the rules and regulations established by the Maryland State Board of Elections and the state legislature. So really I am that kind of glue that brings the community's needs and understanding to exercise the right to vote, and our job as a team is to ensure that we have transparent and accessible elections.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow. So where are we now in the timeline of getting ready for a major vote? Where are we now? What are some of the deadlines that have passed thus far and what are some of the deadlines we need to be aware of as we prepare to be ready to vote this fall?

Speaker 3:

Okay. So one of the deadlines that since passed is the October 15th deadline to it's called the advanced voter registration deadline. Nonetheless, if you moved into the county past the 15th or you were just you slept on it and you just were procrastinating, it's okay, we have something called same day voter registration. You would report at one of our 14 early voting centers from Thursday the 24th of October through Thursday the 31st of October, from 7 am to 8 pm, or on election day, which is Tuesday, November 5th, between the hours of 7 and 8. And you could bring a Maryland driver's license or a learner's permit or an MVA ID. Now, if you don't have those three forms of ID, you could bring a bank statement, utility bill, a governmental document, a leasing agreement, something official that has your name and current Montgomery County address, and then we'll go through the bells and whistles, register you and afford you the opportunity to vote.

Speaker 2:

OK, I think that's important to repeat and I know you said a lot. Yeah, it's a lot, but what I gather is that there is no firm limit to your ability to register, to vote or to participate in this election if you have the right documentation.

Speaker 3:

Correct, correct. So definitely bring a Maryland driver's license, either a learner's permit or an MVA Motor Vehicles Administration ID. Or, if you don't have those three forms of state ID, you could bring a bank statement, utility bill, lease, an agreement, something that has your name and Montgomery County address.

Speaker 3:

And then you would present during the early voting season or on election day. You would talk to the check-in election judge, same day registration judge, and they'll help you through the process to vote and at any time, even if you just come off the street and you don't have an ID, they will provide you a provisional ballot. But we will still need to go through the checks and balances to verify who you are before you could actually vote and scan a ballot in our scanning unit. But if you vote provisionally at any time because we can identify you in a poll book or you have no ID on you and whatnot, there's mechanisms where we won't turn you away. But we also want to keep the mechanism safeguarded and then we will do our due diligence to research that provisional ballot submission and then we will ascertain whether we will incorporate that into the canvas or not. And nonetheless, what's interesting, that provisional ballot application doubles as a voter registration application.

Speaker 2:

So for the next election 2026,.

Speaker 3:

You're good to go.

Speaker 2:

Oh, okay, very good. Very good, and that answers another question what do you say to people that have concerns about people voting without having adequately identified themselves? But you already mentioned that there's various ways that you ensure that a person is who they are, and I guess we can say that one more time. So in case someone missed it the first couple of times, they get it. There is a process. People are better.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so full disclosure. There are rules and regulations scripted by the Maryland State Board of Elections and the state legislature. We do not make the rules, we only follow them. So, depending on the circumstance, when you show up to vote in person, whether during early voting or on election day, you may be asked to present an ID. If you don't have a form of valid ID, you will vote provisionally and then we will do our checks and balances. So it's always important to carry an ID, just because right. But those are the rules and we follow them.

Speaker 3:

If, if and I understand there are some feelings out there and we get that. We respect everyone's opinion. But once again, we followed the rules and regulations scripted by the Maryland State Board of Elections and or the state legislature.

Speaker 2:

All right, and again, Dr Z does that make the rules. So you see Dr Z in the street or you see him on election day. Do not get upset with him. His job is to make sure you know what the rules are. That we are in Montgomery County is compliant to the rules of the state, Correct Now? Now about what is early voting, what's considered by early voting, and then what are some of the ways you can vote early nowadays? Perfect.

Speaker 3:

So the early voting season will start on Thursday, october 24th through Thursday, october 31st, so even that weekend we have 14 early voting centers across Montgomery County. They will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. You are not tied to the nearest or closest early voting center, so if you live up county and you're visiting loved ones down county and you're near the Silver Springs Civic Building, you could vote there. You don't have to rush up county to look for the one closest to your home address. Having said that, if you're running around errands between the 24th and the 31st of October and you don't know where to go because maybe you left your sample ballot at home, all you do is get your cell phone and text the letters E and V for early voting E and V and your zip code to 77788, three sevens, two eights and, which is interesting, during the early voting period, that system, that texting prompt, will give you the nearest early voting center, driving directions and, most important, wait times.

Speaker 2:

OK, all right, I'm a little slow, so let's back it up one more time. Wait times okay, all right, I'm a little slow, so let's let's back it up one more time. So if, if someone texts to uh, 77788 they text their um ev and a zip code and a zip code and make sure that so it's.

Speaker 3:

it doesn't have to be caps, right, okay, it's just the letters e and v, okay, and then have a space and then put the first, the full five, five, the five digits of your social. So Montgomery County, our office is in Gaithersburg, so I would text E-N-V, space 20879. And the number is 77788. And that text only works during their early voting season, the 24th through the 31st of October.

Speaker 2:

That's amazing. So you have a cell phone. You're not lost. So if you're not, a cell phone, you're not lost Exactly If you're not a paper person and you're not walking around with a briefcase full of papers. Or you didn't remember to bring your manila folder with the voting stuff and all the preparation and research you've done as a great voters that we are responsible voters that we are. You can text 77788. The EV is then your zip code.

Speaker 3:

Correct, and that's it, and that's it, and that's it, and it'll give you the nearest early voting location, driving directions and, most importantly, wait times, which is kind of neat.

Speaker 2:

Now what if I'm at home and I'm trying to do the research of how I'm going to do my voting this year? I'm going to plan it out. I'm going to early vote here. I'm going to do this there.

Speaker 3:

What website do I go to or who do I call? Go to our website, obviously, which is www.777voteorg. 777voteorg. All the information is on there. Or you could call our office at 240-777-8500. 240-777-8500. And you see the common theme of 777, right, keep it very easy there.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, but also sometimes it confuses people, but everything is on our website. We're there to serve. We have bilingual staff members that can help out as well. Every registered voter will be mailed a sample ballot with all that information. It's bilingual. In Montgomery County, we're under Section 203 of the 1975 Voter Rights Act. That's how I came to join the Board of Elections and you'll notice that our ballots, our sample ballots, poll workers, signage everything is in English and Spanish. It's a federal requirement. It's a federal requirement and after the 2000, the 2010, and the 2020 decennial census, the Department of Justice states we have to implement that second language into our entire process. Oh, wow.

Speaker 2:

Wow, okay, wow. So that's mandatory. So you're following directions. If anyone has a question why do you have Spanish and English and not Spanish and something else, or English and something else? That that's the reason why.

Speaker 3:

Yes, it goes through the census. Yes, correct.

Speaker 2:

And you mentioned that there are language accommodations for people. Since we have one of the most diverse counties, it is In not just Maryland but America. Yes, there's ways that people can go to not only the website or make phone calls Correct, we can find someone to talk to them or we can provide them with information in a language they're comfortable with.

Speaker 3:

Correct. We do a lot of active recruiting. We visit all high schools. We do over close to 550 community events throughout the county. I don't think anyone could touch us 550 events.

Speaker 2:

There's only 365 days in the year. We do a lot, so even like today.

Speaker 3:

myself, I did three. This is my third one, so this is an event.

Speaker 1:

This is an opportunity right To educate people.

Speaker 3:

This weekend we have, I believe, four on Saturday and three on Sunday leading up to early voting. It's our job to serve at the end of the day, and this is year round. This is not oh, it's 90 days till election day. Let's do some outreach. We also do this in the odd years between the presidential and the midterm gubernatorial, so we're always circulating because someone is always turning 16 years of age to register, someone is becoming a naturalized citizen, someone is turning of age to vote for the first time. So we're cognizant that the electorate is changing and individuals need services.

Speaker 2:

Is there anything special or what are some of the things that people that are voting for the first time should consider? If you're just turning 18 or whatever you are and it's your first election. You're going to get there to the box, or whatever.

Speaker 3:

What should they be mindful of? Well, be mindful that there's a lot of legwork that's taken place before giving you the opportunity to vote at the ballot box, right To vote in one of these paper ballots. It's important that your vote is your voice at the end of the day right.

Speaker 3:

So this is your opportunity to flex your constitutional right to vote. Obviously, we prepare for a hundred percent turnout. There's multiple ways to vote, whether you're voting by mail, right, so there's active ballots circulating now If you want to. If you have a desire to vote by mail because you're just busy and you can't vote early, or on election day, all you need to do is text the letters VBM to 77788. Really easy VBM, vbm to 77788.

Speaker 2:

If you want to vote, you want to vote by mail-in ballot by mail. A mail-in ballot EVM V for vote by mail.

Speaker 3:

Victor Bob.

Speaker 2:

Mindy, yeah, all right, okay, vbm.

Speaker 3:

VBM, vbm.

Speaker 2:

Yeah so 777-888-VBM. All right Technology. That's great.

Speaker 3:

Exactly, and so we'll go through the process. We verify you are registered to vote, and then we will mail you your vote-by-mail packet. Now, if you are voting what we call web delivery or internet prints at home ballots this is one of the kind of the web delivery that you will print at the office. As you see, it's eight by, was it eight?

Speaker 3:

and a half by 11? What's interesting is we cannot scan this in our high velocity scanners. So then we're going to have we have to formulate bipartisan teams to duplicate your web delivery print at home ballot onto the official ballot. It's a whole process. We get it. It's a convenience. We're definitely not amazoncom, so you're going to have to wait for your ballot. There's a process. We want to count once and get it right the first time.

Speaker 3:

But if you're voting web delivery or print at home ballots, we're going to need to duplicate it onto the official one. It takes some time. At this moment we're over, I believe, 28,000 web delivery ballots requested. Yeah, it's high, and most of the voters they're not in some remote country in Latin America or Africa doing research, they're here in Montgomery County, in Gaithersburg, Rockville. That's how you choose. Great, but we're here to serve. I just wanted to share. If you're voting a print at home ballot, we're going to have to duplicate it onto the official cardstock before we can actually canvas and also we could actually scan and tabulate on election day.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so. So if you do web, if you do the uh, the web process, then somebody will be doing the manual process.

Speaker 3:

We'll have bipartisan team one registered Democrat, one registered Republican or unaffiliated voter. We go through the process because we can scan that eight and a half by 11 sheet of paper.

Speaker 2:

And that's a fair process. Now, speaking of the manual process, let's talk about the manual process, let's talk about what people can expect. You walk to the precinct that you want to attend. You're standing in line, by yourself or with loved ones or your neighbors. You're waiting in line, and what happens as you move forward?

Speaker 3:

So let's start this really quickly from home. You're home and you want to vote by. You want to vote in person? It's election day.

Speaker 2:

November 5th.

Speaker 3:

You didn't leverage the 14 centers during early voting from the 24th through the 31st of October. You woke up and you're like. You know what? I'm going to go get milk and eggs. I also want to go vote right, it's election day.

Speaker 3:

But what do I do? I don't have my sample ballot. I misplaced it, I recycled it. Get your cell phone text the word check to 77788, check to 77788. And you can ascertain which is your election day polling place. Unlike early voting, you should go to the one that's identified according to your residential address. So do not assume that the school or the facility up the street is where you actually will vote on election day. If you go to a different polling place that doesn't correspond to your residential address, you will vote a provisional ballot. Okay, and then we'll research why was this person out of precinct? And we do our bells and whistles before we could incorporate into the canvas, Nonetheless, text the word check to 77788. Or look at the back cover of your sample ballot to ascertain where you should vote on election day. Or call the office Once you show up and you get in line.

Speaker 3:

Obviously there's a check-in process. They'll ask some particulars of some personal information. They'll ask your name, et cetera, and then from there you sign the voter authority card, you affirm the name, the address, date of birth, etc. Party affiliation. Then you will go to the ballot table and that's where they'll give you the option of whether you want to vote a traditional cardstock ballot like I have here, or you want to use the ballot marking device. The ballot marking device is a touchscreen. Basically, it affords individuals to vote independently. So if you're blind, I take my glasses. I can't read the ballots. Maybe English or Spanish. Maybe you're functionally illiterate in those two languages and you want to hear the audio. Maybe you're colorblind and you can see the contrast yes, so you could vote independently.

Speaker 3:

Historically, individuals, prior to the onset of the touchscreens, you need a loved one or a bipartisan teams of poll workers to help you read the ballot and fill in the bubbles Right. But now, with the ballot marking device, which is the new name for the touchscreen, it's been in place since 2002 in Maryland, after the 2000 elections, you could vote independently. Once you go through and you fill in the bubbles, you read the instructions. The ballot is bilingual. We do not have an English or Spanish version, it's all on one. Just read, fill in the bubbles, use the pen that they will provide you at the polling place, or you use the ballot marking device to make your selections on the touchscreen and you print your activator card and then, either the activator card or the ballot, you will take it to the scanning unit and then they will scan it and then you'll get your I voted sticker and you can go home and celebrate.

Speaker 2:

All right, go home and celebrate, because you voted.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and you get the sticker. That's what we want the I voted sticker, the infamous sticker.

Speaker 2:

You put it on Facebook, on Instagram and on X and all those things. Let people know that you voted and you did your duty as a citizen of the United States of America. Montgomery County, Maryland.

Speaker 3:

And when you post it, just tag us at 777 vote, right At 777 vote. We want to see those stories. We're here to serve and also for any suggestions moving forward. There is a common car and a little survey that we'll ask for you to fill out any recommendations, and I could tell you that we do read every single one of them.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow, any recommendations, and I could tell you that we do read every single one of them. Oh, wow, so people have feedback on the voting process in the county or their experience in the county, or if they have questions, that's another way they can do. That is through at 777-VOTE.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and they could call our office and they could do the comment cards when they are done with their voting experience in person on election day. But at the end of the day we're here to serve and remember. There's three ways to vote by mail or during early voting, from the 24th through the 31st of October. And then the last opportunity will be on election day. But also keep in mind we also have 58 ballot drop boxes across the county.

Speaker 3:

And this is where a lot of individuals almost half of our voters are depositing or returning their mail-in ballots. So if you need to ascertain the nearest drop box and you don't have your sample ballot, you know, I'm gonna tell you text the word.

Speaker 2:

What do you?

Speaker 3:

think it's gonna be right drop drop box.

Speaker 2:

No, it's even easier, easier, yeah no box yes box and seven888 and what else, vm, I don't know, not your zip code box and your zip code to 777-888 and it'll give you the nearest Dropbox and also give you the link to the USPS post office locator since everything is in your hand.

Speaker 3:

We got an award by the US Election Assistance Commission for that series of texting prompts we initiated in 2018, not knowing that in 2020 it would.

Speaker 2:

It came in very handy with covid right, because nobody wanted to get near anybody, so everybody was texting um.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, text the word box, okay, uh, and your zip code to 77788 and make sure there's a space between the x and the first number two, right?

Speaker 3:

because, Montgomery County zip codes. Start with the two um and they'll give you all that information in your hands and so you'll identify the drop box. Deposit and please, it's open. We've gotten so many calls. Is it open? It looks closed. Voters, please do me a favor, get out your car, walk to the box. There's literally like three hours. No one huge arrow pointing up, three hours pointing down to a slot. There's a slot, right it, it's open.

Speaker 2:

It's open 25 hours a day, eight days a week, okay, so it's open, it's always open and it's never closed it is.

Speaker 3:

We will close it on november 5th 8 pm and the reason I say this.

Speaker 3:

So, number one, get out your car and just push that rain flap Right. We apologize, it's dark, so it seems like it's closed. So save yourself a trip to the office or a call. Get out of your car, walk to it, push it through. It's there. And every morning we're picking up, including on Sundays. We have bipartisan teams that are selected at random to pick up the mail-in ballots in each of the 58 drop boxes, and right now we're going to initiate our pre-election mail-in canvas, which are being held in Montgomery College Germantown campus.

Speaker 3:

All of the information is on our website, which is 777voteorg, you could observe democracy in action how we canvass all of the mail-in ballots. Right now. We're about 160,000 requests in-house by the time we're doing this show. It's about give and take over 42,000, 43,000 return mail-in ballots. So we're going to pre-election. We're going to pre-canvass those, so it's also live stream If you can't make it to Germantown we believe in transparency, as opposed to making unfounded comments.

Speaker 3:

go to the Board of Elections or go to the Germantown campus and observe Democracy in Action and ask all of your questions, because we want you to empower you by giving you facts.

Speaker 2:

So people can ask questions there when they're observing. Yeah, we're here to serve. That's great, okay, awesome. I think we covered a lot of things. I'm not sure we covered everything, but you mentioned a few times sample ballots. What are sample ballots? What's on there? Why are they significant?

Speaker 3:

It's important because everything that we discuss, all of the wonderful texting prompts and dates and deadlines- is there in print, in English and in Spanish.

Speaker 3:

And then also, depending on your congressional district, will be your corresponding ballot style. So that is not the official ballot that you'll be leveraging or voting in person or mailing in. You will be given the official packet if you're only by mail and if you're voting in person, you will get the official card stock ballot. So that's basically everything that we discuss in print, English and Spanish. There's a nice map that outlays all of the early voting centers. It lists all of the 58 drop boxes and the addresses. There's one page that has all of the different texting prompts that you could leverage to get information. It's bilingual and then it has all the steps different texting prompts that you could leverage to get information. It's bilingual and then it has all the steps, the bells and whistles on how to vote by mail.

Speaker 3:

What are the return deadlines? The deadline to request a mail-in ballot the traditional cardstock ballot with all the information is October 29th. If you're voting web delivery, it's November 1st. Okay, those are the deadlines and so the sample ballot. If you misplaced it, you could go on our website at 777voteorg and you could download your corresponding sample ballot voter information and then, if you need to ascertain which is your congressional district, just text the word check to 77788 and they'll tell you which is your congressional district. Just text the word check to 77788. And they'll tell you which is your congressional district. You could actually download your sample ballot, which is just the ballots, but the voting information you could print from our website.

Speaker 2:

All right, all right, so a few takeaways.

Speaker 3:

If you're voting early, you can vote almost anywhere correct, yeah, any of the 14 centers, if you're voting the day of you need to vote at your your precinct.

Speaker 2:

You should go to your particular precinct, but if you know how traffic is in this area, oh yeah, if you're in silver spring and you got to rush all the way up to germantown.

Speaker 3:

Let's say, and it's 7 45. You know you're not going to make it, so just find the closest polling place and you will vote a provisional ballot. But we're telling this in advance this is is not a surprise election, right?

Speaker 1:

So?

Speaker 3:

you really shouldn't have. We really shouldn't have provisional voting, except it's safeguards if you really are not registered to vote and you want to exercise your right. But nonetheless, we'll do everything to lay out the kind of the tools so you can successfully navigate the process. But keep in mind way back when, hundreds of years ago, only white male landowners had the right to vote, and the reasons on a Tuesday you had to walk to Annapolis.

Speaker 2:

You had to walk to Annapolis. You had to walk to.

Speaker 3:

Annapolis. So, you know, saturday night you put your mule and your you know your horse away and you started walking because you wouldn't take your work animal, your farm, you know, because that's your tool to get injured, sick or stolen. So you started walking and not many people would take the train to Annapolis because it was very expensive. So you weren't hitching a ride, you were walking.

Speaker 3:

And so by the time and you made it as far as you can Saturday night. Sunday, you woke up under the stars or under a bunch of trees, and you know it's the day of worship, so you didn't walk. You, or under a bunch of trees, and you know it's the day of worship, so you didn't walk, you prayed. It was Sunday and then on Monday you started again really early, walking as far as you can, and then you go to bed and then you woke up. Tuesday you try to make it, you vote and you go back to your farm. So now, from that to today, 45 days in advance, you have mail-in ballots, eight consecutive days of early voting, from the 24th through the 31st of October, and then the last opportunity. We have over 240 odd polling places on election day. So pick one, flex it, vote and we'll see you in 2026.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful, wonderful. And that's what's happening, moco All the information you need when it comes to voting in Montgomery County, maryland, right there at your fingertips, thanks to Dr Z. If you have any questions, of course, you go to the website, which is 777-VOTE, and if you want to do all these other dynamic things via text message, we'll put them up on the screen around this time. Or you could check out the Facebook post and we'll make sure to include some of those on the Facebook post along with tagging at 777-VOTE, which is a very easy way to remember the Board of Elections for Montgomery County, maryland. Yes, thank you, dr Z. My pleasure, all right.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to what's Happening, moco. Please subscribe via your favorite podcasting platform and follow us on Facebook. This podcast is brought to you by County Cable Montgomery, your source for news and information from the Montgomery County Government. Connect with us via cable, facebook, instagram or YouTube by searching for County Cable MoCo.