The Montgomery County Council is demanding Maryland hold an emergency meeting about the reasons why many voters are complaining about a continued wait for mail-in ballots for the upcoming June 2 presidential primary.
The State Board of Elections lists on its website that the primary will be mostly a “mail-in” election and said absentee ballots would reach voters in early to mid-May.
In a letter to the state, the council said it’s “extremely concerning” to field reports about people still waiting. It demanded the board hold an emergency meeting on the matter to protect voting rights.
Council Vice President Tom Hucker wrote the issues are “increasing public anxiety and eroding confidence in our elections.”
Lawmakers also noted other examples of such instances, such as Board of Elections data showing more than 20,000 absentee ballots were not sent to voters in a timely fashion for last month’s special election in Baltimore.
The council also pointed out how neighboring Prince George’s County reported approximately 90,000 voters failed to receive instructions for ballots in their preferred language.
“We are greatly concerned with the Board’s lack of urgency and action to communicate to voters the measures being taken,” council members note in the letter. “Not only to correct the issues mentioned above, but to ensure a timely and fair election.”
- Sign up for WTOP alerts
- Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- Coronavirus FAQ: What you need to know
- Coronavirus resources: Get and give help in DC, Maryland and Virginia
- For June primary, Md. lawmakers call for additional voting centers in Montgomery Co.
- Hogan: Md. sending 10,000 tests, other supplies to support local testing efforts
- ‘We need to be careful’: Montgomery Co. keeping coronavirus restrictions in place
