Maryland voters will have to choose between casting their ballots at a polling place or mailing in their votes during the state’s primary election in June.

Registered voters, including AACC students who will vote for the first time this spring, received their paper ballots in the mail in early May. Those who decide to vote by mail must have their ballots postmarked no later than June 2.

As of now, the state Board of Elections is calling this year’s primaries “primarily a vote-by-mail election,” but plans to staff polling places on June 2 for those who want to vote in person.

Voters will choose Democratic or Republican candidates for president and Congress, and for local judges and delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

Although two candidates for president will appear on Republican ballots and the names of multiple presidential contenders remain on Democratic ballots, only one from each party has not withdrawn his candidacy: President Donald Trump, a Republican, and former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Students told Campus Current they plan to mail in their ballots.

“I favor [mail-in voting] given our current situation,” said Hannah Klein, an 18-year-old high school student who also takes classes at AACC. “Instead of going out to the polls where a lot of other people are and where germs can be spread, I’d rather do it by mail and be safe as long as it is secure.”

History professor Frank Alduino said he expects more young voters to participate in this year’s election because of the mail-in option.

“I think the pandemic will have a definite impact on the election this year,” Alduino said. “The mail-in ballots seem to be helping and increasing participation in the elections.”

Second-year transfer studies student Yaropolk Kulchyckji agreed.

“I think this will be a much higher turn out this year,” Kulchyckji said, noting that he prefers voting from home because it takes less effort than going to the polls.

Alduino said he encourages AACC students to vote.

“When our leaders are together, they tend to ignore those who are younger because they vote less,” he said. “What younger people ought to do is just get out there and vote, just have their voice be heard.”

Dr. Dan Nataf, a political science professor, advised first-time voters to learn about the candidates before returning their ballots.

“If you are a first-time voter you should try and figure out who the candidates are—not just as president—but who are those running for Congress and judges,” Nataf said.