Maryland voters encounter range of delays, problems at polls in primary election
Source: Baltimore Sun
If the last-minute revelation that as many as 80,000 would have to vote provisionally in Tuesdays primary election wasnt enough, the polls opened today with scattered reports of delays, scanner problems and other issues at several precincts.
But causing particular outrage and suspicion was an email officials sent to thousands who had changed their address or party affiliation at the Motor Vehicle Administration, saying they would have to vote by provisional ballot which would not be counted until July 5.
This is way too smelly, said Sarah Landon, 57, who moved from Baltimore to Tilghman Island last year. In addition to registering her new address, she switched her party affiliation from Independent to Democrat because she wanted to vote for a candidate against incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican. Landon, who is married to former Baltimore City Solicitor George Nilson, had received the notification that she would have to vote provisionally, but was able to cast a regular ballot without issue Tuesday morning. I still want evidence that it was just a clerical error, Landon said. When something like this happens on five o'clock the day before an election where they're expecting high turnout, I have every right to be suspicious.
Gov. Larry Hogans spokeswoman has said the problem is clerical, and assured voters that every ballot would be counted. MVA officals have attributed the problem to a computer glitch that began in April 2017, when new software was installed on the MVAs website and walk-up kiosks. The information submitted by people who logged on only to change voting-related data was not relayed to the Board of Elections, according to the MVA.
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-polls-voters-20180626-story.html
There was a caller on Joe Madison's show who had also mentioned that she tried 6 times to feed her paper ballot into the scanner at her polling site and it kept rejecting it. That 6th time it finally took it.
Per the OP, the "software glitch" began a YEAR ago and was apparently not "fixed" in time. I suppose data audits are unheard of and I also suppose this is a "dress rehearsal" for a November steal.
iluvtennis
(19,871 posts)should be announced until then.
aintitfunny
(1,421 posts)They only win when they cheat, and they always cheat.
C Moon
(12,221 posts)Hmmmm...may be a new GOPutin tactic to look out for in November.
mopinko
(70,205 posts)them. it is about why the voter was given a placebo ballot in the first place.
those ballots are evidence of suppression. those voters should be contacted to find out how and when they registered to vote, if they have voted before from that address, and what they know about how they got removed from the rolls.
i dont know how much info on these is public record, but the election officials involved should really be looking at these ballots to see what they did wrong.
elleng
(131,084 posts)Oh THAT'll do it, nothing like andy harris to screw things up!
DAMN!
elleng
(131,084 posts)THANKS, Hogan!
MAYBE this will give Dems an issue against him; many think he's a shoo-in for a 2d term.