Council President Formally Requests Public, Emergency Meeting of State Board of Elections

Council President Formally Requests Public, Emergency Meeting of State Board of Elections

In Letter Delivered Today, Council President Expresses Concern Over Voter Disenfranchisement in June 2 Primary

BALTIMORE, MD (May 18, 2020) — On Monday afternoon, City Council President Brandon M. Scott  sent a letter requesting the Maryland Board of Elections hold an emergency, open meeting to explain to the citizens of Baltimore City the current status of their mail-in election ballots.

“We now know that the Board has failed to meet its own deadline for mailing and delivering the ballots to Baltimore City voters,” writes Council President Scott in the letter. “Simply put, the Board needs to openly explain when each and every Baltimore City voter will receive their ballot.”

Last Friday, the Council President held an emergency press conference calling for answers regarding the whereabouts of ballots for the upcoming Primary Election on June 2, 2020. Many Baltimore residents have expressed concern about not receiving their ballots when other counties had already received them. 

Yesterday, the Council President released a statement calling for the Board of Elections to hold an emergency meeting no later than Tuesday, May 19 after the State Board of Elections acknowledged that ballots destined for Baltimore City were not mailed to registered voters by May 8, 2020, as previously promised.

Today, the Council President made that request in writing, in a letter delivered to the State Board of Elections.

“When people marched and died for this right, and when voting rights are under attack at the national level, it is everyone’s responsibility to take this matter with the greatest seriousness,” said Council President Scott.

“It is an essential constitutional right that all Baltimore City voters have open and unfettered access to vote,” continues the Council President in his letter. “The late delivery of the ballots will surely have serious consequences and may ultimately disenfranchise many Baltimore City voters. Pursuant to the Governor’s proclamations the Board has wide discretion to rectify this situation. The first step in doing so is an immediate and public hearing to fully explain to the citizens of Baltimore City the current status of the delivery of their ballots.”

Read the Council President’s letter in full here.