By Stephanie Samuel

Sentinel Staff Writer

With four months until the Maryland primary, the issue of early voting has exploded into a back and forth debate between the state's governor, who opposes the idea, and Democrats, who fully support the idea.

"From our perspective, we all worked hard on legislation in the interest of voter protection and ensuring that everyone's vote is counted," said state Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt (D. Md.), during an April 22 forum sponsored by the The League of Women Voters.

The legislation would include a new provision allowing Maryland voters to cast their votes for governor a week before the Nov. 7 election day.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., who is running for re-election in November, has expressed concerns that early voting may lead to voters committing fraud by voting multiple times.

But state Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D. Md.) said there is a plan being put in place that uses new electronic equipment to keep track of voters.

"There is a new piece of equipment called an E-Poll Book or Electronic Poll Book that electronically will be able to check to see if you're registered, but also centralize the early voters so on the actual election day on the following Tuesday, there won't be people trying to vote twice and commit fraud," he said.

Ehrlich plans to enlist campaign workers to circulate a petition asking the state to overturn the law containing the provision for early voting. If successful, the petition would automatically postpone early voting for the 2006 gubernatorial election.

The early voting provision is part of the Voter Bill of Rights legislation approved by the state legislature in 2005, which went into effect this month despite the governor's veto.

Ehrlich vetoed the bill April 7, citing in a letter to Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch, that the determinations of the three early voting sites were fueled by partisanship.

"These locations were placed in areas heavily populated by Democrats rather than in ones more conveniently or centrally located to all residents," Ehrlich wrote.

Prince Georges's County, a largely Democratic county, will have three early voting sites open from Tuesday to Saturday, 13 hours a day, located in the Hyattsville Public Library, Harmony Hall Regional Center and Upper Marlboro Public Library.

Democrats, however, believe Ehrlich's attempts to hinder early voting are political moves.

"I think Gov. Ehrlich is being disingenuous," said Del. Justin D. Ross (D-Prince George's County). Ross called Ehrlich's petition drive "a partisan ploy."

Ehrlich went on to write that he believed the General Assembly "misplaced its priorities," and should have focused on acquiring polling equipment that would produce a verifiable paper trail like the optical scan system.

Pinsky told audience members at the forum that changing polling systems before the election could cause voter confusion.

"I have to tell you, shifting election systems six months before the elections, not having time to train people, I think it will decrease voters," he said.

Despite petition efforts, Ehrlich's camp may have to get used to the idea of early voting. Campaign workers have only two months to collect 51,185 valid signatures.

Photo by Barb Bent