RNC Lawsuit Against Maryland Election Officials
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has initiated legal action against election officials in Maryland, claiming they have not properly maintained voter registration rolls.
According to the lawsuit, certain counties in Maryland have alarmingly high numbers of registered voters. For instance, two of the largest counties have reported more registered voters than there are adults living there. Additionally, ten other counties boast registration rates exceeding 95% of their adult populations, while the overall registration rate for the state hovers around 75.6%, based on 2022 U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters expressed his concerns, stating, “Marylanders deserve to have confidence in their elections and to know that the state is properly managing its voter rolls.” He criticized the State Board of Elections for failing to remove ineligible or deceased voters, emphasizing the public’s right to access an accurate voter list.
The lawsuit contends that the relevant authorities have not made sufficient efforts to comply with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
The Maryland State Board of Elections has not provided any comments in response to the lawsuit.
In an audit released in October 2023, the Maryland General Assembly’s Legislative Audit Office determined that the State Board’s assessment of voter registration data remains deficient. According to the audit, there are “2,426 individuals with valid voter registrations who may have deceased and 327 who might have duplicate registrations.”
The complaint further states that the insufficient maintenance of voter lists undermines the rights of the plaintiffs, along with all members of the RNC and the Maryland GOP who are legally registered to vote. It creates doubt about the integrity of the election process, discourages participation in democracy, and generates fears that legitimate votes could be compromised by illegal ones.
In addition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a separate federal complaint against Maryland, which also deals with the failure to maintain accurate voter registration lists.
