Maryland Voters

On Election Day, voters will have the opportunity to continue the state's long tradition of welcoming new Americans and valuing education by supporting the Maryland Dream Act at the polls. A "For" vote on Question 4 will affirm the law signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley that provides in-state tuition to students who were brought to the U.S. at a young age, have been here for at least three years, graduate from high school in Maryland, and whose parents pay their taxes. The students must attend a community college for two years before entering one of the state's public four-year colleges or universities.

Half of Marylanders view Martin O'Malley's performance as governor favorably, but only one in five say they would support him for president, according to a new poll conducted for The Baltimore Sun. After a rocky year that included two special sessions of the General Assembly and an income tax increase, 50 percent of likely Maryland voters surveyed said they approve of the job O'Malley is doing, while 43 percent disapprove. Even as O'Malley has taken a conspicuous role in the national political debate, home-state voters reject the notion of his moving into the White House by more than a 2-1 margin.

As the Nov. 6 election nears, likely Maryland voters are evenly divided on whether to make same-sex marriage legal in the state after opposition has grown in recent weeks, according to a new opinion poll conducted for The Baltimore Sun. Meanwhile, most voters are against Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to expand gambling in Maryland, the poll found. Voters oppose the measure 54 percent to 39 percent - figures that are virtually unchanged over the past month despite a multimillion-dollar barrage of television ads seeking to sway public opinion.

Starting Saturday, Marylanders can go to the polls and cast their votes for president and other matters on this fall's ballot. But those who wish to enter the voting booth before Election Day shouldn't wait too long. Maryland's early-voting period runs only through Thursday, a six-day window that is one of the shortest in the country and that could be cut even shorter by Hurricane Sandy. After that, voters will need to wait until Nov. 6. The State Board of Elections is anticipating that as many as 20 percent of Maryland voters will join millions of their fellow Americans in the increasingly popular practice of casting their ballots in person before Election Day. Other Marylanders who like to get a jump on things have been voting by mail, using absentee ballots, since Sept.

Four years ago, Maryland voters went to the polls and overwhelmingly agreed to legalize video lottery terminal facilities in Maryland - including one at a vacant swath of land in South Baltimore. After many years of delay, that decision is finally beginning to pay dividends for our schools and other critical services, with millions of dollars in gaming revenues starting to come in to state and local governments. But we have yet to fully realize the predicted boost in tax revenues, in part because in the years since voters approved slots casinos, our neighboring states have adopted changes making Maryland's casinos uncompetitive.

Despite an aggressive petition drive to force a referendum on the state's Dream Act — which allows in-state tuition rates for the children of illegal immigrants — the campaign to defeat the measure in November remains a low-budget, grass-roots operation without much evidence of an organized effort. With the Nov. 6 election just a month away, opponents have yet to register a ballot committee with the State Board of Elections — typically one of the first steps in waging a high-profile referendum battle.

The Sun's newest poll shows Maryland voters strongly in favor of allowing same-sex marriage, strongly opposed to an expansion of gambling and split almost evenly on the Dream Act, which would grant illegal immigrants in-state tuition at colleges and universities. Another independent poll released days earlier, by Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, found a big lead for the Dream Act, strong support for marriage equality and a statistical tie on the question of gambling expansion.

Supporters say the measure will professionalize the so-called “Orphan's Court” which oversees estate disputes.

Maryland, my Maryland, what are we doing? Why does Virginia have a $130 million surplus without one slot parlor? I guess it can really be said we are in the "dog days of summer. " Our state legislative body has been asked this week to attend a Special Session. Why? This session will probably include discussion on discrimination of pit bulls. Of course, the main thrust of this session is to discuss the feasibility of a November referendum on a sixth slots parlor in the state. I say let these dogs lay. Don't think about giving a doggy treat for adding a sixth slots parlor, especially since two of the original five parlors have yet to be established.

Recent letters to the editor misinterpret the results of the historic Wisconsin recall election ("Walker victory a harbinger of November elections," June 8). First, exit polls showed that 60 percent of Gov. Scott Walker's supporters did not feel a recall election is appropriate except for proven misconduct in office; an additional 10 percent did not feel a recall election is ever appropriate. The Wisconsin voters did not necessarily reject "bullying unions" that are "interested in keeping their power," nor did they endorse Mr. Walker's policies.