Sunday, March 29, 2020

MD BOE Recommends Vote-By-Mail June 2nd Presidential Primary


As part of Governor Larry Hogan's (R-MD) Order to shift the Maryland Presidential Primary back Five weeks to June 2nd, the State Board of Elections was to meet and confer on how best to Implement that change given the fallout from the Coronavirus Threat.

In a Remote Meeting on Wednesday, March 25th, the Maryland State Board of Elections decided in principle to have the now June 2nd Presidential Primary be conducted Completely by Mail based on the Public Health Concerns around the Virus. The Board could Not Guarantee that it could Protect Poll Workers who are increasingly less inclined to work the Polls for Early and Election day In-Person Voting in even a Delayed Election.

Some Members of the Board wanted to Retain the In-Person Voting Options just in case they could be carried out, but reserve the Right to Cancel those Options later if the Threat Window remained Open in the lead up to June 2nd.

State Elections Staff Members urged the Board to make a Final Decision. If Ballots are to be Mailed to All Voters, they should go out by the Last Week of April, said Nikki Charlson, Deputy Administrator for the Board of Elections.

Instructions would have to be Included with those Ballots on how to Return them, she said, and those should be in their Final Form when the Ballots go out. “I appreciate that things are changing, but at some point we have to make a decision,” Charlson said.

It was Board Staff that Won out. The Staff will Draft the Proposal on a Vote-by-Mail Election for the Board before April 2nd. The Board will then make a Final Decision charting out the Course ahead, likely Adopting the Plan, and Send it to the Governor for his Consideration by the April 3rd, the Deadline laid out in his Original Executive Order calling for the Primary Date Change.

Maryland would join Rhode Island on June 2nd as a State with an All-Mail Presidential Primary. Ballots will be Mailed to Voters rather than Applications for Absentee Ballots as in May States like: Georgia, Nebraska, and West Virginia.

Those Efforts can be contrasted with those in Indiana, June 2nd Primary, where No Mailings are going out, but the Excuse Requirement in Requesting Absentee Ballots has been Waived.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker


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