Obama volunteers prime MD voters

Andrew Zajac

Canvassers for Barack Obama were in the neighborhood (Silver Spring, in heavily Democratic Montgomery County, MD) this morning doing a bit of Get-Out-The-Vote ahead of Tuesday's primary.

Balloting here has been variously dubbed the Potomac, the Chesapeake or the Crabcake Primary since it includes Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

In addition to knocking on doors of registered Democrats, Obama foot soldiers passed out a slick four-page flyer and an insert with an invitation to a rally Monday at the University of Maryland's basketball arena in nearby College Park.

The flyer's back page testifies to Obama's pursuit of the youth vote and to Democrats' lessons learned in recent elections in which the eligibility of would-be voters has been challenged.

It reminds that "if you are registered to vote and will be 18 by the general election on November 4, 2008, you can vote in the primary even if you are currently only 17."

It includes a phone number and web address for the local board of elections and advises checking with the board about polling locations and proper forms of required ID.

The pamphlet also reminds voters that they have the right to cast ballots as long as they're in line by scheduled 8 p.m. close of polls, and that "if for any reason your eligibility to vote is questioned, you the right to vote with a provisional ballot."