Press Statement - For Immediate Release

Tuesday, June 26, 2018 – The failure of the Motor Vehicle Administration to forward to the Board of Elections information on nearly 80,000 voters is of grave concern to the League of Women Voters.  A citizen’s right to vote is too important to be put at risk by administrative error.  We call on the Governor and Maryland General Assembly to thoroughly investigate this matter, determine the causes, and take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again.

Of immediate importance is that voters not be deterred from voting due to this reported problem.  Voters should take advantage of Maryland’s system of provisional voting, which is a safeguard against potential errors in voter registration data.  We are encouraged that in response to the MVA error, the State Board of Elections encouraged voters to request provisional ballots.       

The mission of the League of Women Voters is to encourage informed participation in the political process.  It is the duty of Maryland’s officials to ensure that every citizen’s right to participate is protected, including protection for administrative errors.

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For additional information, contact:

Ralph Watkins, Vice President for Voters Service – (301) 787-7170

Elaine Apter, Co-President – (980) 833-4411