I am deeply concerned about recent proposals from Democratic leaders in the legislature and the local election boards that call for a hybrid election this November that would emphasize mail-in voting.
If we learned anything from the June 2nd primary election, is it that affirmatively mailing ballots to every registered voter is a recipe for disaster. At a time when our nation feels broken, it is more important than ever that citizens have faith in the legitimacy of our electoral process. There is too much at stake to rely on a process that is ripe for fraud.
It is baffling to me that our elections officials would wish to stay the course with a process that resulted in more than one ballot being mailed to a single voter, ballots being mailed to individuals who had long ago moved away, ballots being mailed with incorrect dates and not at the same time, individuals receiving a Democratic and Republican primary ballot and signatures being exposed for all to see on the outside of the return envelope among many other issues.
We must return to a primarily in-person election. If you can stand in line in a crowded home-improvement store, you can stand in line to cast your ballot. If you are uncomfortable, or unable, to vote in-person because of COVID-19 or any other concern, you may follow the established and trusted process to request an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
The citizens of Maryland are entitled to a free and fair election, and a mail-in preferred process undermines the integrity of our electoral process. I urge our state elections board to return to our proven and fair election process of in-person and absentee voting.