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This story was updated Sept. 3, 2010, at 4:00 p.m.

Prince George's County polling sites were busy with voters and candidates today as early voting for the primary election began for the first time in Maryland.

Early voting was approved in a referendum in 2008, and except for Sunday, the polling locations will be open through Thursday to make the process more convenient for voters.

At the College Park Community Center, where polls opened at 10 a.m., voters waited about 10 minutes to cast ballots using the touch-screen machines. The center was crowded with people waiting to cast their votes.

In addition to the College Park Community Center at 5051 Pierce Ave., other polling sites were open at the Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Center at 8001 Sheriff Road in Landover, the Bowie Library at 15210 Annapolis Road, the Upper Marlboro Community Center at 5400 Marlboro Race Track Road and the Oxon Hill Library at 6200 Oxon Hill Road.

"I think it's great," said Ireene Ohlmacher of Laurel, who said her work volunteering for the Prince George's County Board of Elections on Election Day forced her to vote by absentee in the past.

"It's always driven me crazy."

Daneen Banks, deputy elections administrator at the Prince George's County Board of Elections, said the first day of voting was going smoothly and said 659 people had voted in the first hour polls were open.

Supporters of early voting say it will be easier for people who are unable to devote time on Election Day to stop by the locations between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. this week instead of voting by absentee, which requires requesting a ballot from the elections board, filling it out and mailing it back.

"I won't be here for Election Day," said Bea McCarthy of Greenbelt, who stopped by College Park to vote. She supports the early ballot option. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to vote."

During early voting, residents are able to select whichever polling site they prefer to cast their ballots. During the primary election Sept. 14 and general election Nov. 2, voters are assigned to voting locations.

In Prince George's County, where there are more than 400,000 registered Democrats and few races are contested by members of other political parties, the primary election is likely to decide multiple races, including county executive and County Council.

Campaigners for many candidates provided voters with literature and sample ballots Fridays.

"Hopefully it'll convince some people who are undecided," said Joseph Calabrese, a volunteer for Sheriff Michael A. Jackson, a candidate for county executive.

College Park City Councilman Marcus Afzali asked city officials to send out a cleaning crew to address the many campaign signs near the center Friday.

"It's appalling," he said of the many yard signs. "It's all over the right-of-way."

Having an additional six days of poll work presents unique challenges for candidates this year, who have only had to staff election sites for one day of voting in the past. County executive candidate Rushern L. Baker III sent an e-mail to supporters Thursday asking volunteers to stand outside the five voting locations this week to make "personal contact" with voters.

Minutes after the polls opened today, a bus pulled up to the front of the College Park Community Center with about 30 senior citizens who said they planned to cast votes for state Sen. David Harrington (D-Dist. 47) of Bladensburg, who chartered the transportation.

"It's the best thing I can do to know who's coming out," said Harrington, who faces Del. Victor Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Mount Rainier in the primary.

At the Oxon Hill polling site, state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington accused opponents of circulating "false" sample ballots that implied he is supporting County Councilman Samuel Dean's bid for county executive, along with several other candidates. Muse is backing Baker.

Muse said he called the attorney general and election officials after spotting opposing candidates circulating the false documents as the "official" ballot.

"This is illegal," he said.

Around noon Friday, the Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Center was buzzing with voters, most of whom were senior citizens and candidates.

Mitchellville resident Dorothy Jackson, 76, said she voted early because she "wanted to get it over with. There is a lesser crowd than on Election Day."

Mary Johnson, 64, of Clinton, also voted at the Landover center to avoid congestion.

"I was hoping to avoid some of the mad rush and because I'm retired," Johnson said. "[With early voting] you don't have that rush-rush atmosphere, and you get it over with. You get to meet and greet some of the folk running."

At the Bowie Library, Jacqueline Dantzler, 46, of Bowie said she decided to vote early because it is convenient.

"I thought the crowds would be a little less — if you have your mind made up, you don't have the pressure of waiting on voting day," Dantzler said.

Bowie resident Jean Cleary, 69, said she decided to vote early because of her recent hip surgery.

"I can't stand in lines, [and] I already decided. It just made sense to do it," Cleary said.

dvalentine@gazette.net