Even with early ballot counting, results may come after election night
In the Western Maryland counties of Frederick and Washington, a total of more than 6,000 mail-in ballots have already been received with a little more than three weeks to go until Election Day.
Unlike during this year’s primary, election officials in those counties won’t be waiting until after the polls close to start counting those votes. The State Board of Elections’ petition earlier this year enables counties to count votes in advance, and about half of the state’s 24 jurisdictions are taking advantage of the opportunity to canvass ballots before election night on Nov. 8.
“It’s important that as many voters who mailed in their ballots can get their ballot counted before Election Day,” said Barry Jackson, deputy election director at the Washington County Board of Elections, one of those who pushed for the change.
Washington County received over 5,000 mail-in ballots during the primary.
“It gives you a more complete picture at the end of Election Day,” Jackson said.
Ballot counting:Appeals court rejects Dan Cox's request to halt counting of Maryland mail-in ballots
Still, that picture will not truly be finished until days after the polls close.
“Nobody can finish up before November 18,” said Nikki Charlson, deputy administrator at the State Board of Elections, referencing the day many jurisdictions, including Washington County, are scheduled to have their final canvass.
“The networks calling a winner doesn’t make (candidates) the winner,” Charlson said. “It’s the local election officials counting the ballots and certifying the results.”
Mail-in ballot requests are multitudinous
Washington County has already received requests for over 10,000 mail-in ballots, a couple thousand more requests than were received for the July primary. As of Oct. 14, Jackson said about 2,000 have come back already and the first canvass is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Nearby Frederick County has received over 25,000 mail-in ballot requests as of the morning of Oct. 14, and over 4,000 have been returned, Deputy Election Director Anthony Gutierrez said. The first canvas in Frederick County is scheduled for Oct. 17, 18, and 19.
The first of three scheduled pre-election day canvasses in Montgomery County, the jurisdiction with the most mail-in ballot requests with over 125,000, took place on Oct. 15.
The Baltimore City Board of Elections along with the Allegany, Baltimore, Calvert, Howard, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s and Talbot county boards of elections also plan to conduct pre-Election Day canvassing of mail-in ballots.
The widespread shift towards mail-in ballots began during the 2020 election season, when all registered voters across the state were sent mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the general election that year, officials across the state processed the votes prior to Election Day under an emergency ordered by the governor.
Statewide over 500,000 mail-in ballots have been requested for this year’s general election, and over 35,000 have already been received, according to the State Board of Elections’ website. The state had 4.1 million registered voters as of last month.
Maryland Election 2022:Get to know the candidates for U.S. Senate
What counties in Maryland aren't counting ballots early?
The Anne Arundel, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester county boards of election plan to begin canvassing mail-in ballots on Nov. 10, the Thursday after Election Day.
Wicomico County Election Director Dionne Church said the county is sticking with counting the ballots after Election Day.
“We were just going by the total number,” said Church, whose county has received over 6,000 mail-in ballot requests. She said the county planned to process all the votes by Nov. 18.
Jackson, the Washington County elections deputy who pushed for the early counting, said amid training election judges and preparing for in-person voting, the move to canvass mail-in ballots before Election Day does not make his job “any easier.”
He’s keeping the end goal in mind.
“Election night, we will have all the early voting results,” he said, referencing the period from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3 when voters can cast a ballot in-person in advance. “We’ll have as many mail-in ballots counted in our two canvas dates (Oct. 24 and Nov. 4). Those (results) will be released as polling places come in.”
Those looking to register to vote or request a mail-in ballot can do so at the State Board of Elections' website: https://www.elections.maryland.gov/
Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland election results may be delayed despite early ballot counting
