Voter CHALLENGES In Maryland Work This Way....

According to my husband, a Maryland Voting Unit Judge (and alternate Chief Judge)... it goes like this:

A partisan challenger must present themselves up to 30 minutes before the polls open and must have a letter of introduction from a party official or candidate. Challengers may take breaks (just like the elections workers) but may not do shift-work or have "replacements" come in halfway through. Apparently, they need to be there at opening if they want to work as challengers... late-comers not allowed.

Challengers may challenge a voter based on a suspicion that the voter is not who they claim to be. They cannot challenge on eligibility based on age, residency, citizenship, etc... ONLY ON IDENTITY.

A voter must be challenged BEFORE the Book-Judge hands the voter his or her Voter Access Card (the paper card that's in turn handed to the Voting Unit Judge for the "charged" electronic card used enable the voting machine). --- Once the voter has the Voter Access Card in their hands, the time for challenging is over.

If a voter is challenged, he or she must produce some form of identification that will satisfy the Voting Unit judges. Valid ID includes: valid in-state driver's license or other gov't issued photo-ID, a recent bank statement or utility bill with same name and address on record, a paycheck stub with name and address, etc etc.

GET THIS....

IF A VOTER IS CHALLENGED... EVEN IF THAT VOTER IS ABLE TO PRODUCE A REAM OF VALID IDENTIFICATION... A CHALLENGED VOTER IS *NOT* PERMITTED TO VOTE ON THE TOUCH-SCREENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead, a challenged voter must fill in a paper "Provisional Ballot". In addition, the Challenger must fill in a form that personally identifies the Challenger along with the Challenger's reasons for challenging. -- Next the Voter must fill in paperwork stating why they should NOT be challenged, and the Voting Unit judges also fill in the same form noting what form of ID was presented and whether the ID appears to be valid and acceptable... and whether or not it matches the information on the books.

EVEN IF ALL ID MATCHES, the Challenged Voter may NOT vote electronically!!! ANY challenge automatically means that the voter may ONLY vote provisionally.

NEXT the voter's completed Provisional Ballot is put in a privacy envelope and sealed. The Challenger's form, the Voter's response form and the Judge's ID-check form are attached to the provisional ballot. -- Before the ballot will be tallied, the paperwork and signatures and ID's will be verified by other parties after the fact.

I don't know if the voter is ever informed whether or not their vote was ultimately accepted or rejected.

On the bright side... if a Challenger appears to be challenging based on race, or if their challenges appear to be timed to be have a disruptive effect, or if their challenges appear to be consistently baseless, then they can be ejected by the Judges at the polling place.

If the Challenger refuses to leave, then the Chief Judge can issue an arrest warrant (bench warrant?) and the disruptor can be arrested either WHILE he's there, or after the fact. --- My understanding of that process is a little vague... but at the very least, the disruptor can be forcibly ejected by the Chief Judge or by the Sheriff.

-- Allen

...will have a paper trail if there's a recount.

if the the grand total of provisional ballots exceeds the difference of any race or proposition.

So... in essence... you vote, but it's only counted if the election is close. And there's the chance that your ballot could be rejected if your ID was expired or if you had recently moved and didn't have a current utility bill for ID, etc... EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE eligible to vote.

I see the happy face you're trying to put on this... but that's not such a good thing. I want my vote to count NOW and not be held in reserve in case it's close. I want my vote to PREVENT it from being close.

-- Allen

I'm expecting an Ehrlich drive to disenfranchise Baltimore voters today.