Politics
Maryland election chief weighs contingency plans as voters voice concern about ICE at polls
With early voting set to begin Oct. 22, Maryland’s election administrator says officials are preparing for possible disruptions while prioritizing voters’ access to the ballot. State officials and political science experts say polling-place protections and trained election judges are in place, though federal agents could respond to a threat or act under a warrant.
BALTIMORE — Maryland election officials are preparing for possible disruptions at polling places, including the prospect of federal agents appearing near voting sites, as the state heads into its Nov. 3 general election.
“I worry about everything, and that is one of my worries,” Maryland Election Administrator Jared DeMarinis said Oct. 20. He said he is consulting election officials in other states about how they are handling similar concerns, with the goal of preventing any incident from escalating or interfering with voting.
Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 22, and runs for one week. DeMarinis said the state’s priority is ensuring that all 4.3 million registered voters can cast a ballot.
The concern is shared by some voters: A University of California San Diego poll released last month found that 40% of Americans were worried federal immigration officers could be present at polling places.
The Department of Homeland Security has said it will not send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to monitor polls. But Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not ruled out agents responding to threats or making arrests at polling places when they have a warrant.
Federal law bars armed federal agents from polling places, according to Todd Eberly, a political science and public policy professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He noted that agents could be nearby, while emphasizing that voter intimidation is also illegal.
Maryland expects nearly 26,000 election judges to serve at polling places. Ian Anson, a political science professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said each precinct will have a Republican and a Democratic chief judge, and that election workers have been trained to respond if access to a polling place or ballot is disrupted.
DeMarinis said he hopes the election is uneventful but that officials must prepare for potential problems. Anson said he sees no reason for concern, while Eberly said any federal presence at a polling place could prompt swift legal challenges.