Mail-in Ballot Applications Have Finally All Gone Out, Hogan Says With Hint of Irritation
Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said Tuesday that the State Board of Elections had completed mailing out out all applications for mail-in ballots for the 2020 general election.
“This is something that I asked them to immediately do nearly eight weeks ago,” Hogan said with a tinge of frustration.
At a State House news conference, Hogan said he encourages everyone to try to vote by mail-in ballot or early in-person voting to avoid long lines and wait times on Election Day.
Hogan has been criticized by Democrats and voting rights advocates for requiring voters to apply for a ballot — online or by U.S. mail — if they want to vote by mail in the general election. Local elections offices mailed ballots directly to voters’ homes in advance of the June 2 Maryland primary — without requiring an application.
State and local elections boards have warned until recently that they were having trouble recruiting enough election judges and poll workers for November’s election. But Hogan said that his administration recruited over 11,000 volunteers, many of whom are state employees — “because they didn’t do it.“
Even though ballot applications have been mailed, the governor expressed discomfort about the State Board of Elections’ ability to handle the massive task of running a hybrid by-mail and in-person general election.
“I’m still concerned about whether or not they’re going to be able to pull it off, and we’re going to continue to try to stay on top of them,” he said.
Hogan said he plans to work with the legislature to address problems with the State Board of Elections because he is “not completely confident that everything is going to go smoothly.”
Click here for more information on how to request a ballot — and how the election is going to be conducted.
Hannah Gaskill
Reporter
Hannah Gaskill was a reporter for Maryland Matters. She left the publication in May 2022. Gaskill received her master’s of journalism degree in December 2019 from the University of Maryland. She previously worked on the print layout design team at The Diamondback, reported on criminal justice in Maryland for Capital News Service and served as a production assistant for The Confluence — the daily news magazine on 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR member station. Gaskill has had bylines in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune, among other publications. Before pursuing journalism, she received her bachelor’s of fine art degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. She grew up in Ocean City.
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