Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service: Maryland election officials seek to count mail-in ballots earlier, reduce delays after primary results that took weeks

08.15.2022 / By Sam Janesch
Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service: Maryland election officials seek to count mail-in ballots earlier, reduce delays after primary results that took weeks

Before the State Board of Election’s decision Monday, the good government group Common Cause Maryland sent a letter to Hogan asking him to issue another executive order for this year’s election. “Failure to take action will allow time and space for election deniers to propagate lies and conspiracy theories about our elections,” the letter read, referencing concerns some had before the primary that candidates whose standings in the tallies changed during the mail-in ballot counting could make claims of election fraud.

BALTIMORE — Members of the Maryland State Board of Elections voted Monday to take legal action that, if successful, would allow local election officials to begin counting mail-in ballots earlier. Such a change could reduce delays seen in last month’s primary, when results were unsettled in some races for days and even weeks.

Current law only allows mail-in ballots — which have become increasingly popular with voters during the pandemic — to be opened and tallied starting the Thursday morning after Election Day. It’s the latest start in the nation to the counting of such ballots.

The four-member board, hoping to prevent delayed results in the November general election, voted unanimously to seek emergency relief in a Circuit Court so the mail-in ballot canvassing process can start earlier. The returns from those ballots would not be released until after the polls close on Election Day, which is Nov. 8. …

Before the State Board of Election’s decision Monday, the good government group Common Cause Maryland sent a letter to Hogan asking him to issue another executive order for this year’s election.

“Failure to take action will allow time and space for election deniers to propagate lies and conspiracy theories about our elections,” the letter read, referencing concerns some had before the primary that candidates whose standings in the tallies changed during the mail-in ballot counting could make claims of election fraud.

In 2020, the late counting of ballots in states like Pennsylvania were a mechanism for then-President Donald Trump to spread baseless claims of fraud.

In approving the legal step Monday, the board did not specify how early it will seek to start canvassing.

Common Cause, in its letter to the governor, called for starting the process at least eight days before the start of early voting. That period is scheduled for Oct. 27 through Nov. 3.

See More: Voting & ElectionsVoting & Elections