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Today’s Links
Articles:
Washington Post:   What you need to know about delayed election results in Maryland
Washington Post:   Meet the candidates who want to be Maryland’s next governor
WJLA TV:  Maryland 2022 Primary Election: Everything you need to know before you vote
Maryland State Board of Elections:   Primary Elections

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Maryland voters go to the polls July 19 for what is likely to be the most consequential election in two decades, with races for a new governor, attorney general and comptroller.  Knowing who wins may take some time, as a record numbers of mail-in ballots are counted. 

There are no fewer than nine Democratic candidates vying for governor, including Tom Perez, former Obama administration official and Democratic National Committee chair, and polling shows the race is extremely tight.  There are two Republicans, with outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan endorsing Kelly Schulz, and Donald Trump endorsing, 2020 election-denying Daniel Cox.  The Washington Post reports that Cox and Schulz are in statistical dead heat.   

One of the big stories of the election is the number of mail-in ballots requested, and the unique rules in Maryland that don’t allow processing of them until two days after election day.  The Post reports that almost 497,000 mail ballots were requested by Maryland voters, a record, and that 16.6 percent of registered Democrats and 8.7 percent of registered Republicans requested mail ballots.  Ballots must be postmarked, or dropped in an official drop box, by 8 pm July 19th.

A close race, the two day wait, plus other outdated rules which require hand-opening and tabulation of mail ballots, may mean results will be days and possibly a week or more away.  Democracy can be slow, but when the people are allowed to participate, it’s a good thing. 

More details on the election and how to vote in Maryland are at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org Granny D said “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO.”   

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

The post American Democracy Minute for July 19, 2022: Maryland’s July 19th Primary Features Close Races and Record Numbers of Mail-In Ballots appeared first on American Democracy Minute.