Campus Connection

Media Credit: Doug Linn Baltimore City's Steadman Firehouse at the corner of Lombard and Eutaw Sts. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Doug Linn Polling station located at Steadman Firehouse. [Click to enlarge]

Maryland’s primary election, held on Tuesday February 12, marked the first time in decades that the state could potentially play a pivotal role in determining each party’s presidential nominees. In previous election years, Maryland’s primary had been held much later in the season.

Young voters, many of whom have never voted before, have turned out in record numbers in Maryland’s primary, according to exit polling released by news agencies. Nationally, the unexpected success of Senator Barack Obama could be partly attributed to his appeal to young voters.

On the Democratic side, Obama won decisively in Maryland and swept the other primaries in Virginia and Washington, D.C. that were held on the same day. 

Obama had many supporters among the students at the University, Baltimore, including first-year law student Brian Crook. Crook attended Obama’s rally at the 1st Mariner Arena on February 11, an experience that left him, “Pumped to come out and vote.”  Crook hopes that Obama will maintain his momentum and win the presidential nomination. of Maryland

Republican frontrunner John McCain won all three “Potomac primaries,” but challenger Mike Huckabee, a favorite among evangelical conservatives, performed stronger than expected in Virginia.  

A worker at the nearest polling station to campus, located in a fire station at the intersection of Lombard and Eutaw Streets, noted that the turnout seemed to be much higher than previous years. 

“We had several hundred people out to vote,” said the poll worker.  Most came early in the day with people trickling in slowly over the course of the day. Icy conditions may have affected turnout later in the day despite the poll hours being extended from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to accommodate potential voters delayed by the weather.

For most students, the process was relatively easy. Ryan Robinson, a first year dental student said that the process was, “Easy enough.”

When asked what brought her out to vote, Erin Ladwig, a second year dental student, said that she felt it was her duty to vote. “I find that as a woman, it’s very important because we haven’t had the right to vote as long.” 

She also recognized the importance of Maryland in the Democratic primary, stating “It’s pretty crucial… I feel like my vote actually might count for something this time for something more important.”

Another important factor for voters was how candidates plan to handle several crucial issues as president. Miriam Fuchs, a 2006 law school graduate said, “First of all, I think our economy right now is about to head into a recession as well as [the importance of] the war that we’re involved in with Iraq. I think we need someone to take office who is going to be able to take action immediately." 

Many students voiced satisfaction in taking part in the democratic process voting.  Asked about the importance of Maryland’s primary, Robinson said, “It feels like I’m a part of something.”

“It’s certainly an important election,” reflected Fuchs.

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