Do Maryland voters have to switch parties to have a say?

BALTIMORE - Bryan Nehman isn't a Democrat at heart. But for the moment, Maryland considers him one.

Nehman, co-host of WBAL's weekday morning radio program, recently changed his voter registration from unaffiliated to Democrat so he can vote in next month's Democratic primary in Maryland's 5th Congressional District.

It was a simple calculation for the Odenton resident - and one that other Maryland voters are making in jurisdictions in which the June 23 primary, not the general election, is the contest that matters most.

The winner of the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring 5th District U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer is expected to win the predominantly Democratic district in November, and Nehman didn't want to be merely an observer.

"I got to thinking, whoever wins this race is going to be my congressman for 10 to 20 years," Nehman said. "I'm not going to have a say in the general election because whoever wins the primary is going to be the person."

Nehman isn't alone.

In Maryland's closed primary system, only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective party primaries.

In such places as Baltimore City and Prince George's County, where Democrats dominate, Republicans and unaffiliated voters may find themselves effectively excluded from the election that decides who will hold office. The reverse can occur in strongly Republican jurisdictions such as Harford, Carroll, and Cecil Counties, as well as parts of Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore.

While some voters switch parties because they want a voice in areas dominated by one party, others do it specifically to help a favored candidate or try to defeat one they oppose.

"It happens all over the state," said former Maryland Secretary of State John Willis.

Voters have until the June 2 registration deadline - 21 days before the primary - to change parties.

In Harford County, a teachers union is openly encouraging members to consider switching parties so they can vote in the Republican primary for county executive - the race widely viewed as the decisive contest.

"We want our members to have a voice in selecting the next Harford County executive," said Chrystie Crawford-Smick, president of the Harford County Education Association.

A recent union newsletter advised members: "It may be time for a party flip!" It encouraged Democratic or unaffiliated members to switch to Republican to give the union a larger "impact on upcoming elections."

County Executive Bob Cassilly, a Republican, is seeking reelection and faces a primary challenge from County Council President Patrick Vincenti.

Cassilly recently told Fox45 that the union's party flip strategy is "very arrogant" and "makes everybody cynical" about the way government works.

But Crawford-Smick said the union is trying to navigate a closed primary system, which she said "disenfranchises citizens" and is archaic.

"The reason the county executive race is so important for us is that nearly half of HCPS funding is provided by decisions made solely by the county executive," Crawford-Smick said. "The funding provided from our local government has a direct impact on our class sizes, programs and supports for our students."

Strategic party switching has surfaced repeatedly in Maryland elections.

Willis,for example, points to a 2014 Republican primary for Carroll County commissioner in which challenger Stephen Wantz defeated incumbent Robin Frazier by 810 votes. During that election cycle, 1,261 Democrats and 877 unaffiliated voters switched affiliations before the primary, according to figures compiled by Willis, after education groups and other organizations encouraged voters to change parties. He said the effort likely had an impact.

In 2022, there was social media chatter about whether Democratic voters should switch parties and vote for Dan Cox in the Republican gubernatorial primary because he was seen by Democrats as easier to beat than Kelly Schulz in the November election. But Willis said there is no evidence that a coordinated crossover effort was large enough to influence the outcome. Cox, a former state delegate, was defeated by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in that election.

More than 1 million Maryland voters - about one-quarter of the electorate - are registered as independents or with third parties. There have periodically been legal efforts and legislative proposals to open up voter participation in primaries.

"In a one-party primary, as is the case in several key races in Harford County, a large number of citizens are prohibited from voting," said Jerry Eaton, president of the Harford CountyDeputy Sheriff's Union.

Eaton added that he hasn't encouraged pre-primary party switching in the manner of the teachers' union. But he said he is "helping to spread the word on how citizens can exercise their Constitutional right to elect a candidate."

Nehman said his decision to switch was motivated partly by support for one candidate and opposition to another.

"There was one particular candidate who I adamantly didn't want to win," Nehman said. He said there is another candidate he respects and would be comfortable having as his congressman. "So I'm using it to vote against somebody, but also to vote for somebody," he said.

Nehman acknowledged he expects to switch back to unaffiliated after the primary.

It could happen, he said with a laugh, on "Wednesday" - the day after the election.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 1:07 AM.