Professors at the Polls

Maryland Professors at the Polls is an exciting new initiative to encourage greater civic participation among faculty of Maryland institutions of higher learning. The Center has been sub-contracted by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to run the project in Maryland. AAUP was awarded a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Center is helping to organize faculty from around the state to serve elections judges in 2006. (Primary Day is September 12, 2006 and General Election Day is November 7, 2006). The idea is to motivate Maryland's professoriate to serve the state by volunteering in this very important part of the electoral process.  See AAUP's press announcment. See the Center's press announcement.

(Photo at right: Zach Messitte, center, and Michael Cain, right, serve as election judges at the California, Maryland Bay Fire House, precinct 8-10 in St. Mary's County)

On Monday, January 9, 2006 a group of 25 faculty and election officials from across Maryland met at the AAUP in Washington, DC to discuss the idea of Maryland Professors at the Polls.  The following institutions sent representatives: Salisbury University, Towson State University, American University, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hood College, Bowie State, St. Mary's College of Maryland, the University of Baltimore, the Pollworker Institute, the League of Women Voters, the Maryland State Board of Elections, Electionline.org, Just Democracy, and the American Association of University Professors.

If you would like to join this core group of faculty committed to serving as Election Judges in Maryland's 2006 elections contact Michael Cain or Zach Messitte at St. Mary's College. To learn more about how to become an Election Judge in Maryland, visit your home county's web site. 

To learn more about registering to vote in Maryland, visit the State Board of Elections.

To register to vote you must fill out the Maryland Voter Registration Application.