Political notebook: Early voting starts this week; Cox set rally; Parrott gets endorsement

Cast your ballot ahead of time starting Thursday

Don't want to stand in line on Nov. 8 to cast your ballot?

As in years past, the state of Maryland has you covered.

Early voting starts Thursday and lasts through Nov. 2, according to the Washington County Board of Elections.

But unlike general elections of the past, there are two locations where people can vote early.

Ballots for any resident of Washington County can be cast at either the board of elections headquarters at 17718 Virginia Ave. south of Hagerstown, or Washington County Free Library branch at 100 S. Potomac St. in downtown Hagerstown.

The locations are open daily — including the weekend — from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The deadline to request a mail-in ballot has already passed, but you have until Election Day, Nov. 8, to return it. If you don't want to mail it, there are six secure drop boxes the elections board has stationed around the county:

• Washington County Election Center, 17718 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown

• Washington County Free Library, 100 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown​

• Boonsboro Town Hall (parking lot entrance), 21 N. Main St., Boonsboro​

• Clear Spring Town Hall, 146 Cumberland St., Clear Spring​

• Hancock Town Hall (parking lot entrance), 126 W. High St., Hancock​

• Smithsburg Town Hall, 21 W. Water St., Smithsburg

If you want to make sure the elections board has received your ballot, go to https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/Votersearch and click STATUS OF MY MAIL-IN OR PROVISIONAL BALLOT.

More:Even with early ballot counting, results may come after election night

Dan Cox to attend 'One Nation Under God: A Rally for Freedom'

A conservative rally is planned Oct. 28 in Carroll County, Md., and Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox of Frederick said he would be there.

"One Nation Under God: A Rally for Freedom," hosted by Catholics for Dan Cox, will be from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at Leaping Greenly Farm, 3000 Hoffman Mill Road, Hampstead.

According to an email from the Cox campaign, this is the first rally of the year for the General Election.

Also featured will be Alan Keyes, who served in the Reagan administration; Michael Peroutka, who is the GOP nominee for Maryland Attorney General; and the Rev. James Altman, A Catholic priest from Wisconsin who has drawn controversy for his criticisms of the COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 guidelines, Democrats and Black Lives Matter.

Registration for the event is required. Find the link to register at https://www.coxforfreedom.com/events or call Rochelle Kane at 410-952-4941.

"Come enjoy a great time, great music, great food trucks, and hear from some great speakers!" the campaign email reads.

Neil Parrott gets backing from National Federation of Independent Business

The National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business advocacy organization, endorsed Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington, for election to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

“As a small business owner, Neil Parrott understands the issues impacting Maryland’s small businesses and will be a strong advocate for them in Congress,” Mike O’Halloran, NFIB Maryland state director, wrote in a news release. “During his tenure in the Maryland General Assembly, he supported pro-small business policies and earned a 100% NFIB voting record for his latest term. Neil Parrott knows the importance of lowering taxes and eliminating burdensome regulations for small businesses and will promote legislation that will strengthen the small business community. We are pleased to endorse him today.”

A new map, renewed hope:Republican Parrott tries again for Congressional seat

The endorsement is issued from NFIB FedPAC, NFIB’s political action committee, according to the news release. NFIB FedPAC is funded by voluntary contributions by NFIB members over and above their membership dues. Decisions made by the NFIB FedPAC are managed by a member-driven grassroots evaluation.

Do you have election-related news in Washington County?

If you have any politics-related items that would be of interest to Washington County voters, send them to news@herald-mail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Cast ballots early starting Thursday; Dan Cox backers set rally