The Carroll Standard

Maryland withdraws MOVE Act waiver request

ANNAPOLIS, MD – State Administrator of Elections Linda H. Lamone announced today that the U.S. Department of Defense found Maryland to be in compliance with the requirement of the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act to mail absentee ballots to military and overseas voters at least 45 days before the general election.  This Act was designed to increase enfranchisement of overseas and military voters.

“We’re very pleased to be in compliance with the federal MOVE Act and clearly demonstrate our continuous commitment to serving military and overseas voters,” said State Administrator of Elections Linda H. Lamone.  “While the request for a waiver was the safety net we needed while we continued to develop solutions, ultimately our solutions – above and beyond those required by statute – bring Maryland into compliance with the Act and we can now move forward.”

The requirement to mail ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days in advance of the general election posed a challenge for many states – including Maryland – due to the small window of time between the primary election and the general election, the dates for which are both mandated by State law.  In July, the State Board of Elections applied for a waiver to the MOVE Act, concerned that the 48 days between Maryland’s primary and general elections would not provide adequate time to prepare certified general election ballots for mailing overseas.  While the waiver request was pending, Maryland elections officials continued pursuing several solutions to ensure ballots cast by military and overseas voters would be received in time and counted.

The State Board of Elections has developed a comprehensive plan to ensure that military and overseas voters have as much time as possible to receive their absentee ballots, vote them, and return them so that they can be counted.  The plan includes:

• Giving priority to processing the absentee ballots requests of military and overseas voters, a requirement of Maryland regulations.
• Transmitting federal only ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days prior to the general election.
• Expediting delivery of full ballots, including state and local contests, to military and overseas voters.
• Providing electronic access to absentee ballots if previously requested by military and overseas voters.   These voters will not have to wait for paper ballots to arrive in the mail.
• Accepting Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots for all contests.
• Providing extra time to receive absentee ballots that are postmarked on or before election day and received by the 2^nd Friday after the election.
• Providing on State Board of Elections’ website (www.elections.state.md.us) specific information for military and overseas voters.

For more information, please call the State Board of Elections at 410-269-2840 or visit www.elections.state.md.us,.