CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners has recently met a legislative mandate to increase the paycheck of election judges working the 2024 General Election. This comes with an adjustment to the 2024 fiscal year budget.
This adjustment comes as legislation is passed in Annapolis requiring that all election judges are given $250 for every day they work, and returning workers will receive an extra $100 per day. They will also receive a training pay increase from $25 to $50.
According to Calvert’s election administrator Gail Hatfield, “The new election judge budget will be $207,250.”
These rates will be applied to all Maryland counties.
In addition, the fiscal budget for 2025, which goes into effect at the beginning of July, will contain an over $50,000 increase in funding for the election board’s budget. This brings the current total to almost $1.5 million.
The board approved the amendment at the Tuesday meeting of the Calvert County Commissioners. Hatfield was also at the meeting to answer questions and provide a summary of preparations being made for the general election.
“Everything is set for November… Calvert’s registered voter turnout for the May primary was about 25%. We’re always a little better than the other counties.”
Hatfield has stated that she is expecting a much higher turnout in November.
In 2020, Calvert had around a 36% turnout for the primary and an almost 73% turnout for the general election.
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