Turner Advances In Circuit Court Judgeship Race

Former MACo President voted as top 4 in the Democratic Primary in Prince George's County. Ingrid Turner, former Prince George’s County Council Member and MACo President in 2013 has advanced in the race to become a Circuit Court Judge in District 7, Prince George's County. Turner received 19.5% (79,319 votes) in the Democratic primary, placing her within the top four candidates in that primary. She did not receive enough votes to make the top four candidates in the Republican…

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End of Session Wrap Up: Elections

Now that the dust has settled, this post provides the final status of many election related bills of interest. Voter Registration Data Exchange: HB 561/SB 765 authorizes the State Board of Elections (SBE) to enter into agreements with other states to exchange any data that the State Administrator of Elections determines is relevant to maintaining accurate voter registration lists.  Status:  Both bills have passed the General Assembly and are awaiting the Governor's signature. Online Voter…

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Court of Appeals Ruling – Unreadable Signatures Are Valid on Referendum Petitions

The Maryland Court of Appeals issued an Opinion March 22 in a case brought by Montgomery County Volunteer Firefighters Association against the Montgomery County Board of Elections.  The firefighters sought to roll back a new county-levied charge for ambulance service, similar to that used in multiple other jurisdictions.  The firefighters contended they had enough valid signatures to meet the state requirement to place a referendum on the Montgomery County ballot this past November to allow…

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MACo Seeks County Consent for Additional Early Voting Centers

MACo offered support for  HB 436/SB 443 in the House Ways and Means and Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committees with an amendment to allow a county with fewer than 150,000 registered voters to establish up to three early voting centers with the county governing body's consent.  Under current law, counties with fewer than 150,000 registered voters are required to have one early voting center. Due to the geographic size of some counties, there…

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Congressional Midterm Election Results Indicate Possbile Challenges for Local Government Interests

A recurring theme throughout the 2010 midterm elections was the spending of the federal government and how to address the $13.73 trillion national deficit.  As the election result rolled in,  it became increasingly evident that change was afoot as Congressional and committee control and membership altered.  Now with over 60 new members to Congress, local governments throughout the nation are concerned that in an effort to reduce government spending, Congress may tighten funds on domestic programs. The National Association of Counties (NACo), an…

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County General Election Results – MACo Summary

Today MACo's staff will be following and posting county general election results. We are working with the most current published results-most of them unofficial but at least nearly complete, while some races remain close. Please check back throughout the day to see updated information on results in county races and gain insight on trends from the statewide elections. MACo's most current county general election results information can be found here: County General Election Results Summary An…

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Absentee Ballot Deadline Extended 10 Days for Overseas Voters

An October 29 Daily Record article describes a ruling by a Federal judge to extend the absentee ballot deadline by 10 days to accommodate service members and other who may be overseas. The absentee ballot deadline for Tuesday’s election was to be Nov. 12. Judge Titus’ order would push that deadline back to Nov. 22. The ballots must still be postmarked by Nov. 2. On Oct. 8 — the Friday before the Columbus Day postal…

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Court of Appeals Overturns Montgomery Referendum Case

An October 1 Gazette.net article discusses a Maryland Court of Appeals holding that could have a significant impact on both State and local referendums. In a 5-2 ruling Wednesday, the appellate court overturned a lower court decision to prevent voters from deciding whether the county should charge a fee for ambulance rides. The question on ambulance fees now will appear on Montgomery County ballots in the Nov. 2 general election. At this point it is unclear…

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Emergency Reg Changes When Early Votes Must be Tallied

The tabulation of early-voting totals, which caused delays in tallying votes in the primary election, should not be a problem in the general.  As reported by the Gazette, the State Board of Elections approved an emergency regulation requiring all early-voting totals to be processed and submitted two hours before polls close on the night of the general election. For the general election, local boards will be permitted to start canvassing early votes anytime on Election…

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Early Voting Yields Positive Results

Early voting, which began last week in Maryland and will continue through Thursday of this week, has been very well received in many jurisdictions across the state.  While some areas yielded fewer voters than others, the Baltimore Sun reports that "participants in the primary elections expressed surprise at the ease with which they moved through the lines" and that turnout in the Baltimore region was good.  The Washington Post reports that turnout was light in…

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