Maryland election officials are resending mail-in ballots statewide after voters received incorrect party ballots ahead of the June primary election.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Maryland election officials announced they will resend thousands of mail-in primary ballots after confirming that some voters received ballots for the wrong political party ahead of the state’s June 23 primary election.
The Maryland State Board of Elections disclosed the issue on May 15, attributing the problem to a vendor error involving ballots mailed before May 14.
According to the board, replacement ballots will be sent to all affected voters to ensure confidence in the election process, even though officials said the majority of ballots were believed to have been correct.
“While it is possible only a small number of voters received the wrong ballot, and most voters received the correct ballot, all voters must be issued a replacement ballot,” the board stated.
Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said officials decided to reissue ballots in an effort to preserve election integrity and public confidence.
“We are committed to running an election that is verified, secure and accurate,” DeMarinis said in a statement, adding that the state wanted to eliminate “any doubt in its integrity or accuracy.”
The elections board also warned that the incident could contribute to public confusion and misinformation surrounding the election process.
The agency urged residents to “rely on election officials as your trusted sources for election information.”
The announcement quickly drew criticism from Republican lawmakers and election integrity advocates.
The Maryland Freedom Caucus called for a broader audit of Maryland’s voter rolls and ballot distribution systems following reports that as many as 400,000 ballots may have been affected.
“We must release the voter rolls to the federal government to allow for a thorough audit into the reported issuance of 400,000 incorrect ballots,” the caucus wrote in a post on X.
The caucus also demanded transparency regarding how replacement ballots would be verified and counted.
“We need to be absolutely sure that there is one vote, one person,” the group stated.
The controversy also prompted a response from President Donald Trump, who criticized the situation on Truth Social.
Trump wrote that Maryland had “just had 500,000 Fake Mail-In Ballots revealed” and argued that Congress should immediately pass election security legislation including voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements.
“Voter I.D., and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW. Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped,” Trump wrote.
The president also urged lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, proposed legislation that would require applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote.
Under the proposal, acceptable documents would include items such as a valid U.S. passport or government-issued identification paired with a certified birth certificate.
DeMarinis later disputed Trump’s characterization of the situation, stating on X that no fake ballots had been distributed.
“It is vital for voters and the public to get accurate information and the facts regarding mail-in voting and the electoral process,” DeMarinis wrote.
He argued that claims involving fake ballots were intended to “mislead, sow distrust and create misinformation.”
The ballot issue emerges roughly six months before the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress and are expected to serve as a major test of the Trump administration’s policies and political support.
The midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Original article
Comments