Maryland Votes: What You Need to Know for Primary Day

Tuesday is primary election day in Maryland, and residents can cast their votes for president, U.S. Senate and several local races.

Here's what you need to know before you head to the polls, plus a rundown of some top races, in case your mind still is not made up:

When and Where to Vote

The polls will be open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be able to vote, the State Board of Elections says on its website.

To see where your polling site is located, check your voting districts and see a sample ballot, check the Board of Elections website.

Some first-time voters will be asked to show identification before they can cast their ballots. A government-issued photo ID or a copy of a current bill with your name and address will be accepted, the election board's website says.

Higher than usual turnout is expected. 

Races to Watch

President: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump each hold big leads against their party rivals in the race for the presidency in Maryland, poll results released earlier this month show.

Clinton, the former secretary of state, holds a 22-point lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to the NBC4/Marist Maryland Poll conducted April 5-9. Among the Republican primary electorate polled, Trump holds a 12-point lead against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

U.S. Senate: Rep. Donna Edwards and Rep. Chris Van Hollen top the packed race to replace Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D), who is retiring after five terms.

Edwards is giving up her 4th Congressional District seat, representing parts of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties, to make the leap to the Senate. Van Hollen is giving up his 8th Congressional District seat, representing Carroll and Frederick counties, plus parts of Montgomery County.

The candidates are similar in political outlook, News4's Tom Sherwood said in his Sherwood's Notebook column. Edwards has cast herself as an outsider who will contribute to the diversity of the Senate, and Van Hollen is viewed as the establishment candidate, Sherwood wrote. See the websites for Edwards and Van Hollen for more information on their campaigns.

Van Hollen has a six-point edge over Edwards, results of the NBC4/Marist Maryland Poll conducted April 5-9 show. Van Hollen commanded 44 percent of likely Democratic primary voters reached in the poll. Edwards won 38 percent of likely voters. Eighteen percent of voters were undecided in the poll, for which data on likely Democratic primary voters had a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

Voters for Van Hollen skew white, male and older than 45, the polle results show. The majority of African-American likely Democratic primary voters polled said they would support Edwards.

The front-runners also have to deal with Democratic challenges from more than a half-dozen other candidates: Freddie Donald Dickson Jr., Ralph Jaffe, Teresa C. Scaldaferri, Charles U. Smith, Violet Staley, Blaine Taylor, Ed Tinus and Lih Young.

A long list of Republican candidates will also try to win the Senate seat: Chris Chaffee, Sean P. Connor, Richard J. Douglas, John R. Graziani, Greg Holmes, Joseph David Hooe, Chrys Kefalas, Mark McNicholas, Lynn Richardson, Anthony Seda, Richard Shawver, Kathy Szeliga, Dave Wallace and Garry Thomas Yarrington

4th Congressional District: The race for Edwards' open seat to represent parts of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties drew six candidates, including two Prince George's County Democrats with strong name recognition: former lieutenant governor Anthony G. Brown and former state's attorney Glenn Ivey.

Brown, who was elected to lieutenant governor on a ticket with Martin O'Malley in 2006, unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2014, suffering a defeat to now-Gov. Larry Hogan. He previously served two four-year terms in the House of Delegates and is currently a colonel in the Army Reserve, according to his campaign page.

Ivey, who served as a state's attorney for Prince George's County from 2002 to 2010, ran for election to the District 4 House seat in 2012 but dropped out before the filing date due to insufficient funding. Ivey does not believe he will have trouble raising enough money for a competitive race this time around, The Washington Post reported

Warren Christopher, Matthew Fogg, Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Terence Strait also are vying for the seat in the heavily Democratic district.

Christopher is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former chief of staff at the Department of the Interior, according to his campaign page.

Fogg was formerly with the U.S. Marshals Service, retiring as deputy marshal with a distinguished career, according to his campaign page

Peña-Melnyk is the current state delegate representing a district consisting of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. She won the endorsement of The Washington Post editorial board for her "energy, grit and determination." Peña-Melnyk worked as a lawyer representing abused and neglected children, according to her campaign page.

Strait received a master's degree in psychology and served in the U.S. Army, according to his campaign site.

Robert "Bro" Broadus, Rob Buck, George McDermott and David Therrien are running for the Republican nomination.

6th Congressional DistrictEight Republican candidates, one Democratic candidate and one Green Party candidate are vying to challenge incumbent Democrat John Delaney for the District 6 seat. The 6th District, which spans from Potomac and Gaithersburg to Garrett County in western Maryland, was redrawn -- gerrymandered, according to critics -- in 2011 to boost chances of electing a Democrat. About half of the district's registered voters live in Montgomery County, Bethesda Magazine reported.

Delaney was elected in 2012 and narrowly beat Republican Dan Bongino in his second run, according to Ballotpedia. Prior to serving in the House, Delaney was an entrepreneur, according to his campaign site.

Puca was a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010. He was a business owner and CEO before he became a mortgage loan officer, according to his campaign site.

Two Republican candidates are being called standouts because of their expensive campaigns. Amie Hoeber has indicated a willingness to pump substantial personal funds into the contest, increasing pressure on opponents to intensify their fundraising and spending. Her focus is on national security and environmental cleanup programs, according to her campaign page.

Conservative State Del. David Vogt, a veteran Marine and the 2010 Marine of the Year, also is running for the seat. As delegate, Vogt has fought to cut taxes, balance the budget and uphold the Second Amendment. His campaign has been endorsed by more than 30 conservative leaders from Maryland, according to his campaign page.

Terry Baker, Scott Cheng, Robin Ficker, Frank Howard, Christopher Mason and Harold Painter also are running for the Republican nomination for this House seat. Green Party candidate George Gluck is seeking the nomination as well.

8th Congressional District: District 8 is becoming one of the most expensive primary contests for a House seat in the nation. The 8th Congressional District is fairly Democratic, and although there is a wealth of candidates, it appears to be a three-way race.

Kathleen Matthews worked as a reporter for WJLA before she became an executive for Marriott International. Some of Matthews' opponents have questioned campaign donations from guests of husband Chris Matthews' MSNBC talk show "Hardball," The Washington Post reported.

The Maryland Senate's majority whip, Jamie Raskin, is a constitutional law professor at American University and has played key roles in legalizing same-sex marriage and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to his campaign page.

David Trone is the founder of Total Wine & More with a story of success after he worked on his father's farm. The Montgomery County businessman personally put more than $12 million into the contest. That's the most anyone has ever self-funded a House campaign. His knowledge in politics from his business makes him an able candidate, according to his campaign page.

David M. Anderson, Kumar P. Barve, Dan Bolling, Ana Sol Gutierrez, William Jawando and Joel Rubin also are on the ballot on the Democratic side.

On the Republican side, Dan Cox, Jeffrey W. Jones, Liz Matory, Aryeh Shudofsky and Shelly Skolnick are running.

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