Task Force submits 13 recommendations for improving state voting irregularities

A task force commissioned by Attorney General Doug Gansler (D) in May 2007 to study election irregularities in Maryland released 13 recommendations to strengthen the state’s voting process, Tuesday.

The report was co-chaired by Professor Sherrilyn Ifill from the University of Maryland School of Law and Orlan Johnson, a partner at Saul Ewing LLP in Washington, D.C.

“The task force found that many of the issues brought to its attention will require long-term solutions and changes,” Raquel Guillory, director of communications for the attorney general, said in a statement. “However, given the urgency of the 2008 general election, the task force decided to issue its report in two parts. The first report is limited to identifying and addressing problems that can be addressed in time for the general election this year.”

The recommendations of the task force include:

A review of governance and key election management practices; increased transparency of election board processes and public access; uniformity of and improved training for local election officials on election procedures; an assessment and public release by local boards of planned allocation of voting machines and technicians for each polling place; increased efforts by the attorney general in promoting voter education and election protection efforts, and provisions of election day hotlines services by the attorney general to address misleading campaign ads and voter questions; ensuring compliance with voter registration requirements of the federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) in public agencies; enforcement of procedures for physical layout of election machines at polling places to increase voter privacy; a review of procedures for informing judges at polling places and the public of court decisions mandating extended voting hours on election day; the creation of more effective signage and information on ballot questions provided to voters on election day; improved voter registration efforts for ex-offender population; provisions made for voting of eligible pre-trial detainees; address organized voter suppression efforts and review of rationale for police presence at local polling places; and, review of and attention to proper procedures mandated for meaningful access to voting for disabled voters.

“The health of our democratic system depends on our ability to ensure that all citizens entitled to vote may do so,” Gansler said in a statement. “I am appreciative of the hard work and expertise of the members of the task force as they committed to completing this report over the last year. It is my hope that as elected officials we take these recommendations and put them into practice to improve the voting process across Maryland.”