By Cameron W. Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 6, 2006; B01
Voters go to the polls tomorrow amid heightened concern about the region's voting systems, particularly in Maryland, where the September primary was marred by human and technological errors. Here is a primer on the process voters will encounter tomorrow and what to do if something goes wrong.
How long are the polls open?
In the District and Maryland, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In Virginia, they will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are standing in line at closing time, officials say, you will get to cast
your ballot.
How do I find out where my polling place is?
District voters can check the Board of Ethics and Elections Web site at http://www.dcboee.org/ or call 202-727-2525; Maryland voters can consult the "polling place locator" at http://mdelections.umbc.edu/ or call 800-222-8683; Virginia voters can refer to their State Board of Elections site at http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ or call 800-552-9745.
Can I vote if I have not already registered?
No. You will have to register and wait until the next election.
Will I need to show ID to vote?
In the District, you will need to show identification, such as a driver's license or utility bill, only if you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and did not submit a copy of your identification, said Alice P. Miller, executive director of the Board of Elections and Ethics. If you fit that description and fail to bring ID to the polls, you will be able to cast a provisional ballot that will be counted once your identity is verified.
Maryland voters generally will not need to show identification, but there are some exceptions, deputy state elections administrator Ross Goldstein said. Voters who registered by mail from 2003 to 2005 will have to show identification and will be able to cast a ballot on the voting equipment. Those whose registrations are in "pending" status -- meaning officials could not independently verify an identification number submitted by mail -- will have to show identification and will be able to cast a provisional ballot. People in those categories who fail to bring ID will be able to vote provisionally but must provide proper identification to election officials before the ballot can be counted.
In Virginia, all voters will need to show identification, said Jean Jensen, secretary of the State Board of Elections. Here is what happens to a Virginia voter who does not bring ID to the polls: Citizens voting in their first federal election who did not submit a copy of their identification with their registration will be able to cast a provisional ballot, but they will have to show proper identification to election authorities Wednesday. Everyone else will be permitted to sign an "affirmation of identity" and cast his or her vote on the voting equipment.
What kind of voting equipment will I encounter?
Voters in the District will be able to choose between using an electronic touch-screen voting machine and casting their votes on paper. In Maryland and Northern Virginia, all voters will cast their ballots on electronic touch-screen machines.
Why has there been so much controversy lately about voting systems?
The primary day troubles in Maryland revived the concerns of many officials and voters about the reliability of electronic voting systems, which many states have embraced in recent years. Maryland's Republican governor and his Democratic challenger, along with other politicians and critics of electronic voting, advised voters to cast absentee ballots. Their calls led to an unprecedented demand for absentee ballots that Diebold Election Systems, which has the contract to print the state's paper ballots, has struggled to meet.
Last month, officials in Alexandria, Falls Church and Charlottesville said their electronic voting machines partially truncate the names of some candidates on a summary screen that voters use to review their choices. Also, elections officials in Maryland acknowledged that Diebold, which is also the maker of all the voting machines in the state, last year replaced a defective electronic component in about a quarter of the machines.
Officials in all three jurisdictions say the voting equipment that will be used tomorrow is secure and reliable.
If I can't make it to my polling place, may I still vote absentee tomorrow?
In the District, you have until 4:45 p.m. today to cast an absentee ballot at the Board of Elections and Ethics, 441 Fourth St. NW, Suite 250 North. Voters who are unable to make it to the polls Tuesday because of unforeseen circumstances may be able to cast an emergency absentee ballot; call 202-727-2525 or visit http://www.dcboee.org/ for information.
In Maryland, you can cast an absentee ballot at your local board of elections office until 8 p.m. Election Day.
In Virginia, the deadline for casting an absentee ballot has passed. Virginia law allows voters who become incapacitated, are called away on business or meet other special circumstances to cast emergency absentee ballots. Visit http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ or call 800-552-9745 for more information.
What do I do if I requested an absentee ballot but never received one?
In the District and Maryland, you should go to your polling place and explain the situation; you will be able to cast a provisional ballot.
In Virginia, you will be asked to sign a statement saying that you lost or did not receive your ballot; you will be permitted to cast a provisional ballot.
In all three jurisdictions, once officials have verified that you did not send in your absentee ballot, your provisional one will be counted.
What do I do if I encounter an error in my voting machine or other problems at the polls?
Consult with the officials working at the polling place. In the District, they are known as poll workers; in Maryland, as election judges; in Virginia, as officers of election.
You might want to let some watchdog groups know. They include: DCWatch, at elections@dcwatch.com ; TrueVoteMD in Maryland, at 301-270-6150; and a national effort organized by the Election Protection Coalition, at 866-OUR-VOTE.