By Kenneth C. Rossignol

ST. MARY’S TODAY

LEONARDTOWN --- The time has come, just a week before the voting for president and in St. Mary’s County the voter rolls continue to swell, with the long dominance of the Democratic Party in full retreat.

The latest voter registration figures for St. Mary’s County finalized last week, show that of the voters who signed up in September are lining up with the Republican Party in greater numbers than any other political group.

Such newer ways to sign up to vote such as when using the services of the motor vehicle administration to buy tags or renew a driver’s license, 103 voters registered as Republicans while 88 registered as Democrats. 93 voters declined to affiliate with any known party.

Of those who went in to sign up in person, the edge again went to the GOP (Grand Old Party), with 37 Republicans and 17 Democrats.

Even when signing up to join the armed forces, the Republicans continue to enjoy a point spread, with 20 new voters registering Republican and 14 as Democrats.

Thirty years ago, the Democratic Party held sway in St. Mary’s County with all the action being in the Democratic Primary as about 20,000 Democrats were registered to approximately 3,500 Republicans.

This election finds 21,072 Democrats, 18,981 Republicans, 6873 unaffiliated, 38 Libertarians, 542 other, 10 Constitution Party and 90 Green Party voters.

St. Mary’s Election Clerk Catherine Countiss said last week that the county is ready for the elections, with some problems ironed out concerning lighting for parking lots and positioning of voting machines to ensure privacy.

Countiss said agreements were in place with the schools to make sure that even though schools were closed for the election, that computer operated lighting for parking lots would be adjusted so that the polling places at schools would retain parking lot lights.

In past elections some schools had their lights off because school was out.

In the primary election this year the election office received complaints that voting was no longer secret as voting machines were positioned in such a way that did not provide privacy for the voter.

Machines were lined up in front of the lines of voters waiting to cast ballots and anyone with good eyesight had a direct line of sight for the screen on which votes are cast.