Trump orders investigation into Maryland ballot error – NBC4 Washington
President Donald Trump says he has ordered the Justice Department to open an investigation into a recent mail ballot error in Maryland.
In a social media post, he pushed unsubstantiated claims that it was the result of fraud.
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The Maryland Board of Elections says a printer’s error led to a half million Maryland voters who vote by mail receiving primary ballots for the wrong party.
Affected voters, people who received their ballots before May 14, have received an email telling them they are being sent new ballot packets labeled Replacement Ballot. They are instructed to throw away the first ballot, and use the one marked “replacement ballot.”
The Board of Elections says affected ballots that have already been received are being secured and voided.
They say safeguards are in place, including a unique identifier in return envelopes, to help ensure a voter can only vote once.
“That could not have come at a worse time,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.
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Elrich is alluding to a social media post by Trump in which he accuses Maryland of sending out “500,000 illegal mail-in ballots” and calls for a Justice Department investigation.
It is Trump’s latest attack on mail balloting, which has long been at the center of unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.
“This is the same president who spent years spreading lies about elections, inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6 to stop the counting of electors, to threaten the safety of MCPD police officers and many of our residents, including pushing political efforts around the country that makes it harder for many Americans, particularly minority communities, to exercise their right to vote,” Elrich said.
The Board of Elections released a statement that says, “SBE understands that this situation might cause the spread of misinformation. Please remember to rely on elected officials as your trusted sources for information.”
The Maryland Board of Elections says the vendor who made the error will be picking up the costs to correct it.
