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May 15, 2025

Talbot Spy

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2 News Homepage

Easton Council OKs Mail-in Ballots for Town Elections

March 16, 2021 by John Griep

The town council voted unanimously Monday night to allow mail-in ballots for town elections.

Ordinance 758 amends the town’s code to allow any qualified town voter to vote by absentee ballot rather than in person. The current code limits absentee ballots to those who may be absent for any reason from the town on any election day, or who may be unable to vote due to illness, disability, or emergency reason.

All five members of the Easton town council voted in favor of the ordinance after a March 15 public hearing. Easton Mayor Robert Willey signed the ordinance that night and it becomes effective April 4, in time for the town’s regular May election.

The new law requires an application for an absentee ballot to be submitted to the town clerk no later than the Tuesday preceding a town election.

Completed absentee ballots must be received by the town by mail or in person by 8 p.m. on election day in order to be counted.

Regular town elections are held every two years on the first Monday in May. This year’s election will be for council president and for council members for the second and fourth wards.

Easton Ordinance 758 Absentee Ballots

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: absentee, ballot, council, Easton, election, mail-in, mayor, vote

Mid-Shore Counties Favor Trump, But Margins Differ From 2016

November 4, 2020 by John Griep

Voters in Talbot, Dorchester, and Kent counties again favored Republican Donald Trump for president.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden outperformed Hillary Clinton in one county, while the incumbent had a higher percentage of the vote in 2020 in the other two.

In Talbot County, Trump’s margin of victory slipped from 2016.

Unofficial 2020 results show Republican incumbent Trump with 50.5% of the vote in Talbot County. Democrat Joe Biden garnered 47.3% and Libertarian Jo Jorgensen had 1.1%.

Vice President Joe Biden (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

Biden is faring better in Talbot County than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Trump took 53.06% of the county’s vote four years ago, Clinton had 42.81%, Libertarian Gary Johnson had 3.13%, and Green Jill Stein had 1 percent.

The 2020 numbers likely will shift as election officials count remaining ballots on Nov. 5 and Nov. 13.

Republican incumbent Rep. Andy Harris also saw his Talbot County support dip in the 2020 race for First District.

Harris sits at 54.9% in Talbot and Democratic challenger Mia Mason has 45%.

In 2016, Harris had 60.8% of the vote in Talbot County, with 35.79% for Democrat Joe Werner and 3.41% for Libertarian Matt Beers.

In Dorchester County, Biden underperforms Clinton; Harris maintains margin of victory

Trump leads Biden 58.2% to 39.5% in the county. In 2016, Trump had 55.7% to 41.35% for Clinton.

Harris currently has 62.1% of Dorchester’s vote, with 37.7% for Mason. In 2016, Harris had 61.27%, Werner had 35.82%, and Beers had 2.9%.

Biden polls lower in Kent County: Harris essentially unchanged

Trump has 52.5% of Kent’s vote this year; he had 49.36% in 2016.

Biden has 44.9% compared to 46.31% for Clinton four years ago.

Harris essentially maintained his margin of victory from 2016.

Four years ago, Harris had 56.36%, Werner had 40.44%, and Beers had 3.2%.

Harris currently has 55.4% of Kent’s vote this year and Mason has 44.4%.

This post has been updated to correct the election year in which Joe Werner challenged Andy Harris.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: ballot, dorchester county, election, first district, Kent County, president, Talbot County, vote

Minimal Wait as Talbot Voters Go to the Polls

November 3, 2020 by John Griep

Talbot residents had very little wait time mid-morning Tuesday at the Easton firehouse as voters went to the polls to cast ballots on Election Day.

Those who decided to vote on Election Day saw clear, sunny skies.

At the firehouse, two men held signs urging voters to cast ballots for Questions B, C, and D, which would amend the county’s property tax revenue cap.

A campaign in favor of those three ballot questions has focused on the cap’s effect on public safety and emergency services, with the county’s emergency services director and sheriff noting difficulties in hiring and keeping personnel due to better wages and benefits in other counties.

Signs direct voters to the polls at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, where masks and social distancing are required. The firehouse also is the site of an election drop box. Photo by John Griep

Polls are open until 8 p.m. Any eligible voter who is in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to vote.

In Talbot County, Election Day vote centers are located at the bingo hall at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department, the Easton High School cafeteria, the St. Michaels Middle/High School gymnasium, and the Tilghman Volunteer Fire Department.

The Maryland State Board of Elections had encouraged Marylanders to double check vote center sites and plan for the weather and potential waits by bringing a folding chair, snack, water bottle, and appropriate outerwear.

The board asks voters who plan to vote in person to wear a mask. Voters who arrive at vote centers without masks will be offered one; voters who have a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask will be requested to vote a provisional ballot outside of the voting room to protect other voters and election judges.

The number of voters permitted inside a vote center at any one time may be limited in order to maintain social distancing.

For voters who missed the advance voter registration deadline, same-day registration is available at Election Day vote centers. To prove their place of residence, Marylanders registering in person on Election Day will need to bring their Motor Vehicle Administration-issued driver’s license, identification card or change of address card, or a paycheck, bank statement, utility bill or other government document that includes the voter’s name and new address.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: 2 News Homepage Tagged With: ballot, ballot questions, election, election day, masks, polls, social distancing, tax cap, vote

Question 1: Md. Voters Will Weigh in on Increased Budgetary Power for State Lawmakers

October 24, 2020 by Capital News Service

With early voting set to begin Monday, Marylanders will consider a proposed constitutional amendment granting the legislature the ability to increase, decrease and add items to the state budget.

Legislators advanced the measure in March, largely along party lines, with lead sponsors arguing it seeks to balance the budget process while opponents say it removes a check on lawmakers.

If approved by voters, ballot question 1 would authorize the General Assembly to make changes to the state budget as long as those changes do not cause the budget to exceed the total amount submitted by the governor.

“To my knowledge, there is not another legislature that is limited in its ability to be able to change the budget, other than decrease amounts,” Stella M. Rouse, associate professor and director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland emailed Capital News Service on Oct. 9. “This is a bit unique.”

The legislature’s budget authority was limited by a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1916 in an effort to avoid a financial crisis. A balanced budget amendment in 1974 set further restrictions on Maryland’s “unique” budgetary process.

“Under the current Maryland constitution, unlike every other state legislature in the country,” Sen. James C. Rosapepe, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel, told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee when introducing Senate Bill 1028 on March 4. “We have an extremely limited ability to make decisions about how money is spent in the current year’s budget.”

Currently, Article III, section 52 of the Maryland constitution prevents the state legislature from increasing funding or adding any new appropriations to the governor’s executive budget, but lawmakers can decrease funding.

Over the years, legislators developed budgetary tools, which former Senator P.J. Hogan, an early sponsor of similar budget amendments, told the Senate committee back in March were ineffective. One of these is a process of earmarking money known as “fencing off.”

Another way lawmakers direct spending is to mandate it through legislation passed by the majority-Democrat General Assembly.

“What has not worked is ‘fencing’ as an example,” P.J. Hogan said. “Think about the number of times you have fenced off money and said it can only be spent for ‘this’ and a governor says, ‘I’m not going to release the money for that.’ Or you go the other route for mandating spending and that causes problems because you are trying to predict the future.”

Rosapepe explained to the committee that the bill’s title, “Balancing the State Budget,” referred not only to ensuring the state’s finances remain fiscally balanced, “but also balanced between the responsibilities of the governor and the responsibilities of the legislature.”

“One way different groups get a voice in government is through the legislature, through the budget process,” Rosapepe recently told Capital News Service. “Since 1916, the voice of the people does not have a role in allocating money in the budget. It limits the voice of the people in setting priorities in the budget.”

He said one goal of the amendment is to give state lawmakers the same authority that other legislatures across the country and even city councils across the state have when allocating funds toward constituent priorities and giving them a role and a voice in government.

“This is actually a fairly simple change,” Delegate Marc A. Korman, D-Montgomery, said in an email to the Capital News Service. “That provides the Maryland legislature a power 49 other states have, and most Marylanders believe we already have, to let the people’s branch of government fund the people’s priorities.”

While Rouse was not willing to go so far as to say the Maryland General Assembly’s current limited budget authority was unprecedented among other states, a detailed assessment of Maryland’s budget process conducted in 2003 by the Department of Legislative Services, using materials prepared by the National Conference of State Legislatures, found “in most states the governor’s proposal establishes a framework for budget discussion.”

But the study reported in Maryland, Nebraska and West Virginia the legislature had limited power to increase or decrease budget items. Korman, Rosapepe and other amendment supporters argue this limits Marylanders’ ability to influence the budget.

However, a Goucher College Poll released this week revealed how complex ascertaining the public’s funding priorities could be, as shown in Marylanders’ “mixed” responses to questions on police funding.

“Maryland residents are largely supportive of key police reforms that are currently being discussed by state lawmakers and have dominated our national discourse,” said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College in a statement released with the poll results.

“But there’s a mixed message on police budgets,” she added. “Residents support both increasing funding to hire more or better trained police officers and reducing police budgets to allocate more money to social programs.”

Republican opponents of the budget amendment say the governor is in the best position to interpret Marylanders’ priorities.

Sen. Bryan W. Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel, who recently assumed the position of Senate Minority Leader, told Capital News Service it was appropriate for the governor to have his current role in the budget process because his responsibilities are to the entire state and not just a district.

“The people of Maryland elect the governor for a statewide office,” he explained. “I’m elected by 1/47th of the population of the state while the governor has to have the perspective of the whole state.”

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management, in an opposition letter submitted on March 4 to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, stated the proposed amendment weakens the executive budget system put into place by voters in 1916.

“The rationale for the Executive Budget Amendment,” the statement reads. “Is that the Governor is the official best suited to preparing a comprehensive plan of expenditures because he has daily responsibility for the administration of State government.”

Simonaire added that Marylanders have shown they prefer a divided government through a Republican governor and a Democratic legislative majority. He believed a new budget amendment could offset this power balance.

He also cautioned that if legislators had more power over the budget process they could use it to benefit their districts, particularly larger ones. A few other Republicans agreed.

Back in 2014, the state’s less-populous yet reliably Republican jurisdictions helped propel Hogan into the governorship, while denser jurisdictions such as Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore tend to vote more Democratic. These more populous districts have more representation in the General Assembly.

Delegate Kathy Szeliga, R-Harford and Baltimore counties, who is also opposed to the amendment, wrote in an email to her constituents on Oct. 8 that she would vote against expanding “the legislature’s ability to spend tax dollars and increase spending.”

“The current system creates a check and a balance on the legislature’s desire to centralize funding to the urban areas of Maryland,” she stated.

Delegate Susan W. Krebs, R-Carroll, also mentioned the current system as a check on legislative budgetary power in an email to her constituents this week. She stated she would be voting against the amendment as well.

“The current system creates a check and a balance on the legislature and forces compromise with the governor,” she wrote. “And I think that is good for the entire state.”

But other legislators, Democrats, disagreed.

“This is a restoration of our role. This is not us imposing ourselves on any gubernatorial power,” Delegate Gabriel Acevero, D-Montgomery, who sponsored the House version of the bill told the Appropriations Committee on March 18. “This is a restoration of the legislature’s role to ensure Maryland does not continue to be the weakest state legislature in the union as it relates to the budget. And we’re doing it in a democratic fashion by putting it to the people.”

The Maryland Center on Economic Policy wrote in their statement of support that the limits placed on the General Assembly in 1916 were “in response to a problem that no longer exists,” and that the current amendment “offers a better way to share decision-making authority between the branches.”

Henry Bogdan of the Maryland Association of Nonprofits further testified before the committee in March that the public is currently cut out of the budget process because “You, their representatives, have no power to advance any particular thing that needs to be done.”

“It’s much harder for a constituent or community group to get the attention of the governor on a problem than it is for the constituents or community groups in your districts,” Bogdan said. “You all tend to be much more responsive to people, and you should be able to respond to issues where people want to advance causes in the budget.”

Ultimately, as Delegate Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore, chairman of the Appropriations Committee pointed out on March 18, it is up to the people of Maryland to decide what happens next.

“This bill, if it goes to the ballot,” she told the committee before the measure passed, “your constituents have just as much power as you do. Equal power. Their vote is just as powerful as yours.”

By Philip Van Slooten

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: ballot, budget, constitutional amendment, election, general assembly, governor, Maryland, question 1

Everything You Wanted to Know About General Election Voting in Md.

September 9, 2020 by Maryland Matters

The 2020 presidential general election will be unprecedented in many ways. From mail-in ballot applications to voting center shakeups, here’s what you need to know as Nov. 3 looms:

How can I register to vote for the Nov. 3 election?

You can register to vote online, or you can submit a voter registration form to your local board of elections or the State Board of Elections.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 13.

You’re eligible to register to vote in Maryland if you’re a U.S. citizen, Maryland resident and at least 16 years old, although you won’t be able to vote unless you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election.

How can I tell who’s on my ballot?

You can view a sample ballot via Maryland’s online voter lookup system. You can find out more about the candidates on your ballot and local elected officials by searching Ballotpedia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan online political encyclopedia.

Will I automatically receive a mail-in ballot?

No. If you are a registered voter, you are slated to receive an application for a mail-in ballot in the mail. While registered voters automatically received a mail-in ballot in the state’s June 2 primary election, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) ordered that registered voters receive mail-in ballot applications for the Nov. 3 election.

Where can I apply for a mail-in ballot?

You can apply for a mail-in ballot online if you have a Maryland Driver’s License or state-issued identification card. If you are registered to vote, you are also set to receive a ballot application in the mail. You can complete and return that application by mail for free, or fill out the form at your local board of elections. Many local boards have closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, so be sure to contact your local board before attempting to apply in person.

If you applied online and still received a mailed application form, you may not have to return it. You can check your application status via Maryland’s online voter lookup system.

Can I request an emailed ballot?

You may choose to have your ballot delivered to you electronically, although you will have to print and return the ballot.

State Board of Elections members have asked that Marylanders use mailed ballots instead of ones printed at home. Ballots printed at home need to be hand-copied by a bipartisan team of election judges onto official forms that can be processed by the state’s voting machines, officials say, delaying election results.

Will my ballot and application postage be paid for?

Yes — unless you request your ballot be delivered to you electronically, which requires you to print it at home.

Postage on ballots and applications will be paid for by the state and local boards, although election officials recently requested that the state foot the bill for all of the postage to take the burden off of local boards. That issue has yet to be resolved.

What’s the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot?

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 20.

When will I receive my ballot application?

Ballot applications are already being sent to registered voters. If you applied online or already returned your mail-in ballot request form, you can check the status of your application online using the voter lookup system.

Is mail-in voting secure?

Deputy Election Administrator Nikki Charlson noted that mail-in voting, which state officials called absentee voting up until this year, has been around in Maryland for decades. She said state officials have “very mature” procedures for tracking mail-in ballots, and use constant audits to ensure mail-in ballots are counted and processed correctly.

Charlson also said ballot drop-off boxes, which will be deployed across Maryland in the coming months, are made from 400 pounds of galvanized steel and are under 24-hour surveillance.

The amount of fraud in mail-in elections is miniscule: A Washington Post analysis of mail-in elections found just 372 possible cases of voter fraud out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections — a rate of about 0.0025%.

Can I track my mail-in ballot?

You’ll be able to track your ballot’s status through Maryland’s online voter lookup system. You can also use the Postal Service tracking number to see the status of your ballot’s delivery.

If you choose to return a ballot by mail, you’ll need to make sure your envelope is postmarked on or before Nov. 3. Your ballot must be received by your local board of elections by 10 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Will the Postal Service be able to deliver my ballot in time?

Delays in mail delivery resulting from Postal Service policy changes by President Trump’s appointed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, recently ignited concerns about mail-in ballot delivery in the upcoming election. U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) charged at an Aug. 17 news conference in Baltimore that Trump and DeJoy are attempting to sabotage the Postal Service.

“They’re trying to make it harder for people to vote,” Cardin said. “That’s unconscionable in a democracy.”

State Board of Elections Chairman Michael C. Cogan (R) said at an Aug. 19 board meeting that he has full confidence that postal workers will step up to ensure a smooth November election.

“The United States Postal Service was terrific in their service in the June election,” Cogan said. “They worked extremely hard to support us, and to ensure that things got done. There’s no reason to expect that we will not see the same level of service in November.”

Postal workers have likewise urged the public to “keep the faith” and support the Postal Service as the Nov. 3 election looms. Charlson said election staff are working closely with the Postal Service, but urged voters to submit their mail-in ballots as early as possible to avoid delays.

How else can I turn in my mail-in ballot?

Election officials plan to deploy ballot drop-off boxes throughout the state. It’s not yet clear exactly where those boxes will be deployed, as local boards of elections are still preparing for the upcoming election. This article will be updated when a list of locations becomes available.

You can also hand-deliver your mail-in ballot to your local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Nov 3. Or you can drop off your ballot at an early voting center, an Election Day vote center or a polling place by the time the polls close.

Can I vote in person?

Yes, but it won’t look like a traditional polling location. Hogan recently approved a State Board of Elections plan to open larger, limited in-person voting centers on election day. There will be at least 360 voting centers open across the state for the Nov. 3 election.

Maryland’s roughly 80 early voting centers will also be open for the upcoming election. Early voting in Maryland will take place between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, state election officials decided at an Aug. 12 meeting. Those centers will remain open on Election Day.

Early voting and Election Day voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters waiting in line at 8 p.m., when polls are supposed to close, will still be allowed to vote.

Where is my polling place?

A list of voting centers for early voting and Election Day will be linked here as soon as locations are finalized. Local boards of elections are still working to nail down locations for the Nov. 3 election.

Voting centers don’t operate like precincts, and you won’t need to go to a specific location to cast your ballot — as long as the one you visit is in the jurisdiction where you reside.

Should I go to the polling center on my voter registration card?
 
Some voter registration cards might contain an outdated polling place. Election officials are still in the process of approving early voting and Election Day voting centers, and you’ll soon be able to check those locations online.
Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery County) said she received a card that listed her November polling locations as the Julius West Middle School in Rockville. That school won’t be used as a voting center in the upcoming election, according to Montgomery County’s recently-approved plan. Kagan said some of her constituents also received outdated information on their voter registration cards.
You’ll be able to go to any voting center in your area to cast your ballot, as they aren’t precinct-level locations.

What precautions are in-person voting centers taking to keep voters, poll workers and other visitors healthy?

Charlson said voting centers will be incorporating social distancing measures for the November election. Voters will be more spread out, and election judges will be provided with personal protective equipment.

How do I sign up to be an election judge?

You can sign up to be an election judge online. The position is paid, and you must be a registered voter to qualify.

You must also be physically and mentally able to work at least a 15-hour day, be willing to work outside your home precincts, be able to sit or stand for an extended period and be able to speak, read and write English.

Election judges must be at least 16 years old, although if you are 16 you will need permission from a parent or guardian.

Some counties are looking for judges from specific parties. Allegany County is looking for Democratic election judges, while Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Talbot Counties need more Republican judges.

Local boards of elections faced a massive shortage of election judges prior to the switch to voting centers, and there are still vacant positions throughout the state. 

Will all of the results be up on election night?

Charlson said voters shouldn’t expect a traditional election night. Like the June primary, Charlson said it may take some time before winners can be declared. She said election officials will release the results from early voting, and the results of already-counted mail-in ballots, when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: ballot, election, mail-in, Maryland, presidential, registration, vote

Hogan Demands Answers, Action on Delayed Mailing to Voters

August 4, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) slammed the Maryland State Board of Elections in a letter Monday, demanding to know why voters haven’t been mailed applications to request mail-in ballots yet.

In his letter, Hogan gave the State Board of Elections 48 hours to explain why those ballot applications have not been mailed to voters, and reiterated his call for election officials to open every available polling center for the Nov. 3 general election.

“Under existing law, and to save voters the extra step of having to request an application for an absentee ballot, I directed you to promptly mail applications to every single Maryland registered voter,“ Hogan wrote. “It has now been 26 days, and you have failed to take action.”

Hogan’s letter came as state election officials are looking for a new vendor to do printing for the November election. State Election Administrator Linda H. Lamone has blamed printing vendor SeaChange for late and incorrect ballot deliveries in the June 2 primary.

The State Board of Elections issued a request for proposals from printers last month. Officials hope to have a contract in place by Aug. 17 so the new vendor can prepare for the unprecedented tasks of mailing millions of registered voters both applications for ballots and actual ballots during a pandemic.

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore city) responded to Hogan’s letter with a detailed timeline that Lamone sent to him and Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s). In that letter, dated July 30, Lamone wrote that the State Board plans to approve a revised mail-in ballot application by Aug. 5.

Maryland voters should start receiving mail-in ballot applications, with pre-paid return envelopes, after they are mailed on Aug. 28, according to Lamone’s letter. Mail-in ballots will be sent starting Sept. 24, according to her timeline.

Election officials across the state have scrambled to find election workers and polling centers since Hogan announced his intent to hold a more traditional election in November. Advocates have repeatedly asked Hogan to reverse course and hold another largely mail-in election, as Maryland did for the June 2 primary. But Hogan said state law requires in-person polling centers to be open.

“Let me be clear — this is not ‘my plan,’ it is what Maryland law requires you to do,” Hogan wrote.

The governor also slammed local officials who want to limit the number of in-person locations for voting in the general election. Hogan wrote that he’d received a letter from Prince George’s County officials requesting to close 229 precincts and only open 15. Hogan said such a move would suppress voters of color.

“Local leaders have suggested massive closures of polling places, particularly in some of our minority communities,” Hogan wrote. “This would likely result in voter suppression and disenfranchisement on a significant scale, disparately impacting Marylanders of color.”

Democratic lawmakers, local election officials and voting rights advocates have, in turn, accused Hogan of voter suppression due to his decision to require voters to apply for a mail-in ballot instead of automatically sending them one.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: ballot, election, Hogan, in-person, mail-in, Voting

Local Officials May Need State Workers to Fill Election Judge Vacancies

July 26, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Maryland’s State Board of Elections might take Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) up on his offer to encourage state employees to fill election judge vacancies for local election boards across the state.

A shortage of election judges, fueled by safety concerns because of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, could foil Hogan’s plan to open every polling place for the Nov. 3 election.

David Garreis, president of the Maryland Association of Election Officials, warned that local election boards might have to consolidate polling places because they would not have enough election judges to operate them all.

“It’s becoming impossible to fill all of these vacancies,” Garreis told the State Board of Elections during a virtual meeting Thursday afternoon. “We’re not going to be able to make up for this election judge shortfall.”

In a July 8 letter, Hogan told members of Maryland’s elections board that the state would provide personal protective equipment and encourage state employees to fill in as election judges when needed. Now, as privately owned polling locations are being withdrawn for the Nov. 3 election and poll workers call it quits, officials are considering asking the governor for help.

“We need to let the governor know as soon as possible, so that his administration can get the word out and recruit state employees to be judges,” state elections board Vice Chairman Patrick J. Hogan said. “The inability to staff polling places, as we all know, will have dramatic impacts on the ability for such places to open at all.”

Garreis, who is also the deputy elections director for Anne Arundel County, said roughly 35% of poll worker positions for the upcoming election are vacant statewide. He has said it takes about 25,000 poll workers to run a general election in Maryland.

Poll worker positions need to be filled sooner rather than later, Garreis said. He said Anne Arundel County plans to begin training its election judges in mid-August, and that larger counties may begin training before then.

After the governor announced his intent, earlier this month, to hold a more traditional election in November,  voting rights advocates, Democratic lawmakers and local election boards have called for him to reverse course and conduct a mail-in election.

On Wednesday, activists and lawmakers gathered outside of Hogan’s Annapolis residence and accused the governor of voter suppression.

Hogan seemed firm in his decision to expand in-person voting and send every registered Marylander an application for a mail-in ballot.

At a Wednesday evening press conference, the governor slammed the criticism and accusations of voter suppression as a “typical partisan argument.” He also criticized the State Board of Elections for what he described as a lack of preparation for the upcoming election.

Garreis pushed back on the governor’s claims of partisanship during the elections board’s Thursday meeting.

“The issues that we’re having are not a partisan issue,” Garreis said. “It’s a logistical issue stemming from a public health crisis.”

Officials also approved prepaid return envelopes for mail-in voting applications for the November election. Deputy Elections Administrator Nikki Charlson said the postage isn’t in the election board’s budget, but officials have said they’ll submit a budget amendment to cover that and other costs for the general election.

Prepaid postage for voters to return applications and mail-in ballots is expected to cost the state roughly $1.8 million, according to a recent letter to state officials from Maryland Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone.

Elections board members also heard concerns from a Montgomery County resident about electronic ballots in the November elections. Lynn Garland said she has experience in elections security and noted that electronic ballots have to be printed by voters and transcribed by poll workers before they can be counted. That process is cumbersome, she said, and could delay results into December.

Republican Maryland elections board member Kelley A. Howells said she is worried about the prospect of already-limited poll workers painstakingly transcribing electronic ballots by hand.

 “It really frightens me,” Howells said.

Many other board members seemed to share Howells’ concern and the board instructed staff to look at ways to encourage voters to use mail-in ballots rather than electronic ones.

The term “absentee ballot” is no longer used in Maryland. Charlson said a new state law changed the term to “mail-in ballot” and asked board members to refrain from using the “absentee” term.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: ballot, election, gov. hogan, judges, mail-in, Maryland

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