Coronavirus Latest: Md. Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Adrienne Jones Oppose Moving June Election To Mail-In Only
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The leaders of both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly oppose a plan from Gov. Larry Hogan that would change the June 2 primary election to mail-in votes only due to the coronavirus.
In a letter to Hogan, a Republican, Tuesday, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, both Democrats, said at this point eliminating all in-person voting on election day would disenfranchise voters.
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"We expect a vote-by-mail election on short notice will mean an electorate of older and less racially and economically diverse voters," the letter reads. "The impact of the public health emergency on our state will inevitably create undue burdens; however, voting is a fundamental right. Together, we must do everything possible to ensure the voting electorate is as broad as possible. The faith and trust Marylanders place in our democracy depends on it."
The leaders instead said they want to see some limited form of in-person voting available. If the election is held by mail only, they said the state should take a number of steps to educate voters about the change, including moving registration deadlines for voters to one week before the election, mailing information to inactive voters about how to update their information and conducting public outreach on social media, TV and the radio.
The primary had originally been scheduled for April 28 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
Earlier this month, Hogan said allowing in-person voting would put poll workers' and the public's health at risk.
The special primary election to fill the 7th congressional seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings is still being held April 28 but will be mail-in only.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
