The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into Maryland’s mistaken distribution of hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots ahead of the state’s June primary elections.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

The Department of Justice has notified Maryland election officials that it is opening a civil rights investigation into the state’s erroneous distribution of approximately 500,000 mail-in ballots ahead of next month’s primary elections.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced the federal inquiry Friday in a public statement on X, warning that the federal government would closely examine how the ballot error occurred and how state officials responded.

“It’s the wrong time to send voters the wrong ballots,” Dhillon wrote. “This Justice Department’s Office of Civil Rights will not let Maryland’s mail-in ballot mistakes go unnoticed!”

The investigation follows confirmation by the Maryland State Board of Elections that election officials mistakenly mailed ballots to voters affiliated with the wrong political parties for the upcoming June 3 gubernatorial primary election.

State officials acknowledged the error but denied any intentional wrongdoing.

In a formal request to Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis, Dhillon instructed the state to preserve “true and correct copies” of all affected ballots, mailing records, and documentation involving corrective measures implemented after discovery of the problem.

Maryland election officials stated earlier this week that replacement ballots would be mailed to affected voters after identifying the distribution issue.

According to state officials, the problem impacted voters who received mail-in ballots prior to May 14. Officials said all mail-in voters would receive replacement ballots accompanied by a postcard explaining the mistake and instructing recipients to destroy the original ballot materials.

The Maryland Board of Elections also stated that replacement ballots would ensure voters receive the correct party ballot before the June 3 primary.

Officials previously announced the corrective plan in a public statement, saying the mailing issue involved incorrect party ballots being sent to some voters during the initial distribution phase.

The Justice Department has not yet publicly specified whether the investigation could result in legal action or federal election oversight measures.

The inquiry adds Maryland to a growing list of states facing heightened scrutiny over election administration practices, ballot handling procedures, and mail-in voting operations ahead of the 2026 election cycle.