Maryland voters who were sent mail-in ballots before May 14 will be receiving replacements, after a mix up, leading to criticism from President Donald Trump and local leaders having to emphasize the state’s fair electoral process.
As Maryland is a closed-primary state, voters can only participate in the primary of their respective registered party. However, roughly 500,000 people were sent a ballot for the wrong party, reportedly due to a vendor issue.
The State Board of Elections (SBE) has apologized, plans to send out replacement ballots to all voters who requested mail-ins, and has stated that votes that have been cast thus far will be invalidated.
“Since the mail-in vendor was unable to accurately identify who received correct ballots and who did not receive correct ballots, SBE determined the only course of action to ensure the integrity and security of mail-in voting was sending all voters who requested a mail-in ballot by mail a new ballot,” the SBE said in a statement.
Voting with a replacement ballot, before or on Election Day is still eligible, even for those who already cast an invalidated vote. Whether a voter received the proper or incorrect ballot, they are encouraged to discard the “original” ballot and vote with the replacement ballot, which is expected to arrive between May 18 and May 29 to most Maryland residents.
Jared DeMarinis, SBE’s state administrator, encourages voters to use the replacement ballot once sent.
“We’re making sure that everyone’s aware because people are still requesting mail-in ballots.,” DeMarinis told WBAL-TV 11 News. “We want everyone to vote the replacement ballot. That’s the easiest way to ensure the safety and security of the system.”
Trump Blames Moore For Ballot Issues, Local Leaders Push Back
Trump took to social media to criticize the ballot error and cast blame on the administration of Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who is running for reelection.
“He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught! So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.”
The presiedent has repeatedly cast doubts on mail-in ballots: decrying their use as “fraudulent,” controversially suggesting the 2020 election was “stolen” using them, and issuing an executive order to limit the use of mailed ballots.
Despite his criticisms of the process, Trump used a mail-in ballot to vote during a recent special election.
“I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there, because I had a lot of different things,” Trump told reporters in March, according to a Politico report.
Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Moore, disagreed with Trump’s allegations of fraud.
“President Trump’s statement is false and irresponsible,” Moussa said in a statement. “The State Board of Elections identified a vendor error, disclosed it publicly, and is fixing it to ensure every eligible voter receives a valid ballot and every valid vote is counted.”
Rushern Baker, former Prince George’s county executive, noted that this is one of the president’s many attempts to undermine voting.
“This was a vendor error, not fraud, and state officials acted quickly and transparently to correct it. Donald Trump has spent years attacking faith in our elections and undermining one of the most fundamental rights we have as Americans: the right to vote,” Baker, who is currently vying for a seat in Congress, told The Informer. “Weaponizing an administrative mistake to spread false narratives about mail voting is part of the same dangerous playbook. We need leaders who are willing to stand up, defend our democracy, and protect every citizen’s right to make their voice heard.”
Despite the mishap, DeMarinis is optimistic that ballot counting will proceed as usual.
“It bears repeating that no fake or illegal mail-in ballots were distributed. The wording in President Trump’s continued posts about Maryland’s elections creates an environment of misinformation on a voting right. Mail-in voting is not a partisan issue. Mail-in voting is legal.” said DeMarinis. “When we declare winners and losers, you can have full faith and confidence that it was done in accordance with laws.”
For more information visit elections.maryland.gov. For any additional questions, contact the Maryland Board of Elections at absentee.SBE@maryland.gov.
