Marylandโ Republicans โDemand Review of State Voter Rolls, Citing Security Concerns
ANNAPOLIS, MD – A group of Maryland Republican lawmakers areโ calling for a comprehensive review of the โstate’s voter rolls, raising concerns about potential inaccuracies and vulnerabilities ahead โฃof the 2024 elections. The demand comesโ as election integrity remains a key issue nationally, and follows similar calls for audits in otherโ states.
The lawmakers, members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, argue that regular maintenance and verification of voter lists are crucial to ensuring fair and secure elections. Theyโข point to the potential for outdated โregistrations, duplicate entries, and ineligible โvoters to undermine public trust in the electoral process. โขThis push for review arrives as Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is currently engaged in legal battles with the federal government over โaccess to state data, including Medicaid and food stamp rolls, to prevent potential immigration enforcement efforts.
“Maintaining โaccurate voter โrolls is a fundamental duty of state government,” said a statement โreleased by the Freedom Caucus. “We owe it to Maryland voters to ensure that every eligible citizen โcan cast a ballot, โฃand that the integrity of our elections is โbeyond reproach.” โฃ
The lawmakers are requesting that the State โขBoard of Elections conduct a thoroughโ audit, comparing โขvoter registration data with other state andโค federal databases to โidentify โandโข remove ineligible voters. They also advocate for increased collaboration with other states to share facts and prevent individualsโ from registering toโค vote in multiple locations.
While the โขState Board of Elections routinely โupdates voter rolls through processes like the National Change of Address database and removalsโข for deceased individuals,Republicans contend these measures are insufficient.They are advocating for more proactive and comprehensive โverification methods.
The call for a review โขis likely to spark debate,โฃ with โฃDemocrats perhaps arguingโ against measures they perceive as voter suppression.Though, proponents maintain their โfocus is solely on ensuring theโ accuracy and security of the voter rolls, not disenfranchising eligible voters.The Stateโฃ Board โฃof Elections has not yet responded to the Freedom Caucus’s request.