Politics
Anne Arundel officials order replacement voting guides after ballot questions omitted
Anne Arundel County voters received specimen ballots that left out two statewide constitutional amendments and the county’s three ballot measures. Maryland’s elections administrator directed the local board to send corrected versions; the documents are previews, not ballots used to vote.
Anne Arundel County’s local elections board will send corrected specimen ballots after voters received informational previews that omitted statewide Questions 2 and 3 and all three county ballot questions, Maryland’s top elections official said Friday, Oct. 16.
State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis directed the board to distribute corrected copies as soon as possible after learning of the omissions. The error affects specimen ballots only, not the official ballots voters use to cast their votes.
Question 2 proposes a constitutional amendment concerning temporary appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities. Question 3 concerns congressional redistricting. The county has three additional measures on the ballot, which were also missing from the sample ballots, DeMarinis said.
DeMarinis urged voters to review their materials carefully and consult the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections for accurate information. The board’s website is aacounty.org/elections.
In a separate message Friday, DeMarinis condemned threats and harassment directed at election administrators, saying they must stop. His comments followed the interception of a suspicious envelope addressed to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Federal authorities are investigating similar letters sent to election offices and members of Congress around the country.
Election officials have said intimidation will not disrupt the process and urged residents to participate. The corrected sample ballots are intended to help voters review the choices they will see on their official ballots.