The 2006 November elections in Maryland were riddled with problems, ranging from voter intimidation to disability access issues, according to a report released Monday by the Maryland Election Protection Coalition.
The coalition?s report is based on hundreds of complaints from Maryland voters, including long lines, with waiting times over two hours in some precincts; voter registration problems; lack of poll worker training; and deceptive practices.
“The obstacles encountered last year by Maryland voters ? from long lines to deceptive practices ? highlight the critical need for immediate election reform,” Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers? Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement.
One action that brought more than two dozen resident complaints to the committee was an Election Day mailer that Democrats said was intended to deceive voters into believing that former Gov. Robert Ehrlich and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele were Democrats and not Republicans.
Calling it an “Official Voter Guide” for “Ehrlich-Steele Democrats,” the Ehrlich and Steele campaigns mailed a “Democratic Sample Ballot” to residents, encouraging them to vote for Ehrlich, Steele and a plethora of actual Democrats.
Republicans said the ballots were meant to show the “bipartisan support” of Ehrlich?s and Steele?s campaigns.
The report cites other examples of intimidating or deceptive practices, including:
» A voter at the Dumbarton Middle School precinct reported that Ehrlich campaign volunteers were in the parking lot of her precinct discouraging people from voting by telling them that there were long lines inside.
» A voter at Deer Park Elementary School in Owings Mills complained that a polling place official was debating politics with voters.
» At Carney Elementary School in Parkville, a voter wearing traditional Pakistani clothes complained that the polling judges ignored her and assisted other voters who came after her in line.
Maryland State Board of Elections officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
