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Maryland sees big increase in early voters

There was a 57 percent increase in early voters, overall, in the state in comparison to the 2014 Gubernatorial Primary.

The polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday in Maryland, but many residents have already made their voices heard.

The Maryland State Board of Elections revealed that there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of residents who decided to participate in early voting for the 2018 Gubernatorial Primary.

There was a 57 percent increase in early voters, overall, in the state in comparison to the 2014 Gubernatorial Primary. Democrat and Republican voters showed increases of 62 percent and 40 percent respectively.

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Gary Nordlinger, a professor at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, said it is too early to tell if the numbers are evidence of an energized Democratic party that will show up in November.

"What we don't know is whether this is some huge enthusiasm that you can extrapolate nationally for November of Democratic enthusiasm, or rather there's just a lot at stake on the ballot in Maryland," he said.

Nordlinger added that the Republican numbers are interesting too.

"I find the Republican figure especially interesting in the sense that there's no viable candidate for the US Senate," he said. "They already have the Governorship. So, that's the big question, what's pulling them out?"

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