The Republican Party in Maryland is calling for a major revamp of the state’s voter rolls after significant issues with ballots caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
The Maryland Freedom Caucus is urging state election officials to take action after reports surfaced that 400,000 primary voters who requested mail-in ballots received ballots from the wrong party, according to Fox News.
In a statement released Saturday, the caucus expressed concern over the issue:
Officials from the Maryland Democratic Party and the Election Commission have again shown that they are the main contributors to voter suppression in Maryland. Nearly 400,000 mail-in ballots were mistakenly sent, and the state has indicated that voters who received these incorrect ballots will be issued new ones. However, due to the inaction of the Maryland State Board of Elections and the Democratic Party, many voters had their mail-in ballots improperly submitted using outdated materials, which could undermine their right to vote.
The group claimed it has consistently worked to secure voting rights in the state and to avoid such issues.
“This year, House Democrats didn’t even allow voting safety legislation to be voted on in committee, and this mail-in ballot snafu only further damages confidence in Maryland’s electoral process,” the caucus added.
Now, the Freedom Caucus is asking Elections Commissioner Jared DeMarinis to provide the state’s voter rolls to federal authorities for a thorough audit to identify the source of the errors, cautioning against reissuing another 400,000 ballots.
They also seek clarification on how officials plan to differentiate between the original and the new ballots.
“With 400,000 duplicate ballots out there, it’s crucial that every vote is counted just once,” the group asserted.
On social media, President Trump addressed the situation: “The American Rescue Act needs to pass now. Let’s make it happen along with a housing bill and a FISA bill! 500,000 fake mail-in ballots have been uncovered in Maryland. We can’t put up with this any longer! We must implement voter ID and proof of citizenship immediately. Fraudulent mail-in voting has to end!”
In March, the White House referred to the Save America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship to register to vote, as “one of the most significant bills in our country’s history,” according to reports.
Vice President J.D. Vance also encouraged conservatives to engage more in promoting the SAVE America Act.
“Given that over 500,000 voters have requested mail-in ballots, we want to ensure there’s no question regarding their accuracy or completeness, which is why we’ve arranged for replacement ballots to be sent,” DeMarinis said, noting that his office is working to help voters understand how to cast their votes.
“The vendor responsible, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc., has accepted responsibility for the error and issued an apology,” Fox News reported.
