UPDATED (2:48 p.m.)—A postcard mailed by the Maryland State Board of Elections has caused concern for some Maryland voters and increased work for local boards of elections.
The post card, mailed last week, was part of an effort by the Maryland State Board of Elections to verify voter registration records and register eligible voters, according to Ross Goldstein, deputy administrator for the state board of elections.
The agency attempted to match data between the voter registration rolls and state drivers license records.
"As with any data match, there were a number of false positives," said Goldstein.
About 1.1 million post cards were mailed. The state board of elections estimates the mailing was 98 percent accurate—meaning it reached residents who were eligible but not registered to vote.
Some of those estimated 22,000 "false positives" were the result of voters registering to vote under nickname while using their more formal name for their drivers license—something as simple as the difference between "Larry" and "Lawrence," said Goldstein.
Another set of "false positive" matches was generated by people who registered to vote under older laws that did not require a full date of birth.
"People who registered decades ago were only required to provide their age so we didn't have good dates of birth for them," said Goldstein.
The "false positives" generated a number of calls to some local boards of elections from confused and irritated voters.
Katie Brown, director of the Baltimore County Board of Elections, said part of the intention was to root out inconsistencies in the voter registrations.
"It was a good idea but it may have been bad timing," Brown said.
Martha Thaniel received one of the mailings last week.
"I've been voting for 50 years and I've never had a problem," said Thaniel, a 68-year-old Towson resident. "I was really upset when I got this. I've been registered for 50 years and I intend to vote in November."
Brown said in many cases the problems discovered in the records verification were small issues like the use of a middle initial on one record but not on another. In other cases, the issues were more serious, such as a non-matching birthday.
The more serious issues require voters to re-register. The deadline for registering or re-registering to vote is Oct. 16.
It's not known how many of the county's nearly 500,000 registered voters received a postcard from the state board of elections.
There are more than 3.5 million registered voters in Maryland, according to the most recent state board of elections statistics from August.
The mailings caused an increase in phone calls to the Baltimore County Board of Elections, Brown said.
"It was crazy last week with all the calls and we're getting some this week," Brown said. "People were very upset. Most of the feedback from staff was that these were simple issues and a new registration was not needed."
Thaniel said she never found out what triggered the post card for her but she did not have to re-register to vote. Not that she would have been deterred.
"Even if [the board of elections] didn't say it was 'OK' I was going up there to vote," Thaniel said. "They were just going to have to stop the line."
Goldstein said that overall, the program was successful.
"We've definitely seen an uptick in voter registration," said Goldstein
By the way 46 other states require everyone 18 or over to posses a state issued ID card so seriously ... where is the problem here? I agree that if one person is denied the right to vote that is unacceptable. However, if one person's vote is negated because one vote was cast illegally is that not just as unacceptable or even worse?
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/26/3188518/synthetic-iris-scanning-security So the next thought that no one, including myself, wants to hear is the infamous computer chip embedded under our skin. That should definitely solve the Voter ID problem and possibly numerous others that come up from time to time in our society. Let's stamp out cheating in any form.
"It is the LAW in Maryland for anyone 18 or over to posses a state issued ID at all times." This is BLATANTLY and unequivocally INCORRECT. "By the way 46 other states require everyone 18 or over to posses a state issued ID card" This is BLATANTLY and unequivocally INCORRECT.
Only why use the metaphor of the elephant in the room. What if it is a donkey in the room? Is that supposed to be OK? Why not just say while someone cheats the system and leave it at that. However, voter fraud does exist regardless of how much you wish to deny it does. We have living proof if it in the form of a now former Democrat candidate for congress and as I said even just one fraudulently cast vote is equally as unacceptable as one disenfranchised vote so why not fix both ends of the system in one simple piece of legislation. They could call it the Fair Voting For All Act.
I imagine his use of the elephant metaphor has nothing to do with party and everything to do with the established and long existing metaphor in the english language. It would not matter if it was a Koala Bear in the room!
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XXIV Would like to disagree that transportation costs are a tax. That from the Leahy Court of Special Appeals. Ever wonder how these folks who don't drive go buy groceries or go to the doctor? They manage somehow, don't they?
CB9678 is correct, voter "fraud" does exist, it is just not meaningful as his facts point out. Voter ID fraud rarely occurs and in the case of the dumb Democrat would not have prevented multiple voting.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-10-11/news/florida-republicans-ballot-fraud-2012/
BTW you are just as gulty as your illegal friend in my book. You enable her extended stay by not turning her in. As to the check are her children US Citizens?
Banks frequently take a wide array of non photo ID's as well. When Voter ID laws are written and implemented properly no one has an issue or questions intent. When they are rushed within a year of the election and make getting a free ID a challenge than we question the intent and timing. No one cares about Georgia's law or Indiana's because it is well implemented.