Boards of elections are retraining workers, and the state attorney general’s office is on alert, as both gear up for the November presidential election to prevent the kind of voter discrimination problems that plagued the 2004 and 2006 election cycles.
In 2006, Prince George’s County experienced several high-profile incidents of false political endorsements distributed in pamphlets.
Elsewhere in Maryland, voters saw fliers that threatened arrests if they tried to vote and had back child support payments or unpaid traffic tickets — an effort to suppress the vote.
The incidents and others nationwide prompted recent federal hearings.
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., led a hearing, questioning two Department of Justice officials on the agency’s level of preparedness for the Nov. 4 general election.
In districts where the minority is in the majority, such as Baltimore City and Prince George’s, people waited in lines that were “three to five times long” compared to other districts because of “inadequate” resources, Cardin said.
Campaign organizations distributing “misleading, fraudulent information” were also considered discriminatory, Cardin said.
The federal officers said there is better coordination with the states and that the Justice Department will send monitors to some states.
Attorney General Douglas Gansler said in a telephone interview that his office is prepared.
Gansler created a 13-member Task Force on Voting Irregularities in response to the problems that occurred during the 2006 elections.
The independent panel recommended in April more transparency between the state and local election boards, better training for election officials and compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.
Gansler and Prince George’s Elections Administrator Alisha Alexander said the best way voters can avoid becoming victims of voter discrimination is to be informed about the candidates and their issues.
“I just think it’s important for voters to know who they plan to vote for before they go to the polls, and to read their sample ballots,” Alexander said.
People also should know their voter registration status and their designated polling place to make the voting process go more smoothly, she said.
Gansler said that per the task force’s recommendation, a hotline will be set up by Election Day for residents who want to report voting irregularities, however it is not yet active.
