Maryland voters head to polls after record-breaking early voting turnout

Maryland voters headed to the polls Tuesday after a record-breaking early voting period.

Election officials in Baltimore County said polling places saw steady activity throughout the day. More than 14% of eligible voters statewide cast ballots during early voting, which ran from Oct. 22 through Oct. 29.

The final day of early voting also set a record, with more than 124,000 people casting ballots.

This year marked the highest overall early voting turnout in a Maryland gubernatorial election.

In Baltimore County, 13% of eligible voters cast ballots during early voting. The county also received more than 50,000 mail-in ballots.

"It's exciting for us, I think, and it's also rewarding when we see the voter turnout and the process is working, the contingency plans working when things do go wrong," said Ruie Lavoie, director of the Baltimore County Board of Elections.

Voters told CBS News Baltimore that issues including the cost of living and the ballot questions motivated them to vote.

"Cost of living, it's just too high, and you can tell that from two years ago to now, it's almost double, so that's a problem for me," voter Michael Mupipi said.

There were a few technical issues at polling places Tuesday.

A power issue at Fullerton Elementary School in Baltimore County affected one voting scanner. Both scanners are now working, and voting was never interrupted.

A separate technical problem temporarily affected voter check-in at a Northwest Baltimore senior living complex. Election workers used a paper pollbook until the system was restored.

"We have to depend on a lot of people to do exactly what we need them to do very early in the morning," Lavoie said. "And then, you know, we're dealing with equipment as well. So we have contingency plans in place and ready to take action. So voting never stops. It did not stop at any of our polling places."

Polls close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line by that time will be allowed to vote.