Letter to the Editor: Delegate Ready Concerned About Voter Fraud

Recent events related to voter fraud have given rise to serious and, I believe, valid concerns about the integrity of Maryland’s elections.

Over the past year, there have been three indictments related to voter fraud in Maryland. The first was a high-profile case involving 2012 Democratic congressional nominee Wendy Rosen.  In last month, two women were indicted in separate voter fraud cases in Montgomery and Frederick Counties.

Earlier this week, True the Vote, a national non-partisan voter rights and election integrity organization, released a report citing 173 cases of voter fraud in Maryland in federal elections since 2006. True the Vote staff and volunteers combed through tens of thousands of voter records from that time period finding these conflicts. Clearly, there is legitimate fear that something is amiss in Maryland’s electoral process.

Two Frederick County Delegates, Kathy Afzali and Kelly Schulz have been leading the charge to get to the bottom of voter fraud allegations. Delegate Shulz has requested an official investigation by Governor O’Malley and Attorney General Doug Gansler, as well as the State Election Board into the cases documented in the True the Vote report.

I have strongly supported Delegate Afzali’s efforts to make our elections more secure from fraud, including legislation to require photo ID or at least some type of “free” identification (like a sample ballot mailed to a person’s home) to vote.  Other legislation I co-sponsored with Delegate Afzali – rejected by the General Assembly – would have strengthened penalties for intentional voter fraud. I wholeheartedly support Del. Schulz’s request for an investigation and I hope Governor O’Malley and/or Attorney General Gansler will take quick action.

In an increasingly divisive political environment, the threat voter fraud poses to the integrity of every person’s vote and our Republic should be an area of mutual concern for elected officials in both parties.  It has been brought up to me repeatedly by Carroll residents of all political stripes. Hopefully, these latest instances will prompt Governor O’Malley and Attorney General Gansler to investigate and take action.  

--Justin Ready

The writer is a State Delegate representing District 5A in Carroll County.