Mary Washington, a candidate for delegate in the 43rd District, plans to file a complaint with the city board of elections because she said new electronic machines might have cost her votes.
Washington, who trails incumbent and third-place finisher Ann Marie Dory by fewer than 800 votes, said the machine?s design left her off a crucial list of candidates.
“When a voter picked the large text, my name appeared on the next page, but there was no notification to the voter that more names were listed,” she said. Washington said this led to confusion for voters. “At this point, I?m not conceding and we will be filing a complaint on behalf of the voters,” Washington said.
Incumbent Kurt Anderson and Maggie McIntosh finished first and second in the 43rd District Democratic primary?s three-way race.
Meanwhile, first-time candidate Frank Conaway Jr. led the pack for a new slate of delegates for the 40th District democratic primary. Conaway picked up roughly 5,300 votes to win the primary along with newcomers Barbara Robinson and Shawn Tarrant, who finished second and third, respectively. Conaway attributed his win to a desire by the electorate for new faces.
“I think voters are looking for change; we have a unique situation with three new delegates,” he said.
Conaway?s father, Frank Conaway, easily held on to his office as Clerk of the Court, garnering nearly 80 percent of the vote. His wife, Mary Conaway, rounded out the family dynasty, running unopposed to retain her title as the city?s Register of Wills. The only Conaway family member not to win, Councilwoman Belinda Conaway, lost to Del. Catherine Pugh, who took the 40th District Senate seat.
Del. Jill Carter dominated the 41st district, picking up 10,000 votes and leading her slate of incumbents Nathaniel Oaks and Sandy Rosenberg to victory.
For Washington, who said she has not yet decided whether she will formally protest the election, the election was a primer on the perils of new technology. “We must change the design and of the machines and demand proper training,” she said. “This is a voter rights issue that needs our full attention.”
