Republican senators are again hoping to add more security measures to the fast-moving push for a state constitutional amendment to permit computer voting before Election Day.
But it was a Baltimore City Democrat, Sen. George Della, who slowed down the initiative moving rapidly through both Senate and House by raising concerns from the city election board.
Senate President Thomas Mike Miller and most Senate Democrats ? except Della and six senators with large numbers of Republicans in their districts ? are sponsoring the amendment. The Court of Appeals last summer blocked the early- voting measure the legislature had passed because it said the constitution required the election to be held on the first Tuesday in November, except for absentee balloting.
Acting city election director Cornelius “Neal” Jones said there may not be enough time to prepare the voting machines for election day if early voting ends on the Saturday before it, as was provided in the overturned law. Della wanted time for other senators to check with local boards.
“The [Republican] caucus is unified that there be adequate procedures in place for voting security,” said Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley, Frederick-Carroll.
When the measure is taken up again on Tuesday, Brinkley plans on proposing a change to the constitutional amendment that would permit voters to vote early on electronic voting machines only in their own districts.
Sen. Allan Kittleman, Howard-Carroll, the Republican whip, said he would offer an amendment requiring voters to provide some form of identification.
One of his pet peeves about how the state now conducts elections is that voters need only give their name address and birth date, but not show identification, in order to vote. Kittleman asked the floor leader of the bill, Sen. Roy Dyson, D-St. Mary?s, why the amendment was being proposed this year since it wouldn?t be voted on till November 2008.
Dyson said it because the issue was still fresh from the last election.
“We?re going to let the voters of Maryland makes this decision,” Dyson said. But he could offer no evidence that early voting increased turnout.
