Baltimore City experiences election issues during primary

Baltimore City's Primary Election results are coming in but not without some complications and confusion.

A DAY AFTER THE PRESIDENTIALPRIMARY ELECTION AND WE ARESTILL WAITING ON THE FINALTALLIES FOR LOTS OF LOCALRACES BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OFMAIL IN BALLOTS THAT NEED TOBE COUNTED.

AS OF NOW, SHEILADIXON LEADS THE DEMOCRATICRACE FOR BALTIMORE CITY MAYOR,FOLLOWED BY CITY COUNCILPRESIDENT BRANDON SCOTT.

THISELECTION WAS NOT WITHOUT ITSISSUES.

WMAR 2 NEWS ABBYISAACS JOINS US FROM THEWAREHOUSE IN BALTIMORE WHERETHE BALLOTS ARE BEINGCOUNTING..

TO EXPLAIN.lookliv━ THE BALTIMORE CITYELECTION DIRECTOR SAYS THEYHAVE THOUSANDS OF MAIL INBALLOTS TO COUNT..

AND THATAFTER THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TOCOUNT THE BALLOTS FOR ONE CITYCOUNCIL RACE..A PRINTING ERRORMADE THE MAIL IN BALLOTSUNSCANNABLE.

IT WAS ONE OF THEMOST UNIQUE PRESIDENTIALPRIMARY ELECTIONS IN U.SHISTORY THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC FORCED THE ELECTIONTO BE LARGELY CARRIED OUT BYMAIL.

BUT IN BALTIMORE CITY,AN UNANTICIPATED HIGH TURNOUTLED TO LONG LINES AND THAT WASJUST ONE OF MANY ISSUESSTATEWIDE.

When you try to puton a major machine like thisthere are going to be issues APROOFING ERROR RENDERED MAILIN VOTES FOR THE DISTRICT 1CITY COUNCIL RACE UNCOUNTABLE.SOMETHING BALTIMORE CITYELECTION DIRECTOR ARMSTEADJONES SAYS SHOULD HAVE BEENFIXED MONTHS AGO.

When weproofed the ballot some monthsago, this particular contest,we asked for some adjustmentsto be made to it so it seemsas though the mailing housemailed out the wrong ballot.THE MARYLAND STATE BOARD OFELECTIONS SAYS THEY REQUESTEDTHE ERROR BE CORRECTED BUT ITWASN'T& THE BALLOT QUESTIONWAS IN THE WRONG COLLUMN,MAKING SCANNING IMPOSSIBLE.

SOTHE BOARD HAS DIRECTEDBALTIMORE CITY TO DUPLICATETHOSE BALLOTS FOR SCANNING.

Wewill not do any counting untilwe resolve the race in thedirst district.

THIS IS NOTTHE FIRST OR SECOND VOTINGISSUE THE BOARD HAS ADDRESSED.LAST MONTH, THEY AKNOWLEGDEDTHAT MAIL IN BALLOTS FORBALITMORE CITY VOTERS WEREDELAYED BY ALMOST 2 WEEKS& ANDSOME VOTERS REPORTED THEYNEVER GOT ONE AT ALL.

THEREWAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH BALLOTSDEEMED UNDELIVERABLE BY USPS,SO THOSE VOTERS HAD TO USEPROVISIONAL BALLOTS IN PERSON.Just another example of thechallenges that have beenoccurring with the state boardof elections.

DURING TODAYSTATE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKSMEETING, LT GOV BOYDRUTHERFORD CALLED FOR THEADMINISTRATOR OF THE STATEBOARD OF ELECTIONS TO STEPDOWN.

I think itnew leadership there and to bedone early with enough time tocorrect all these issuesbefore we get to novembergeneral election COMPTROLLERPETER FRANCHOT ECHOED THATCALL, ALONG WITH THERESIGNATION OF JONES.

JONESSAYS MOST OF THE PROCEDURALDECISIONS ARE NOT MADE AT THELOCAL LEVEL.

My job is to turna smooth effective electionwhich I have tried to do andhave dne sinc eiYou have a system that hasbeen implemented for the firsttime, you have trials naderrors and you learn fromthem.

Not only myself butother jurisdictions as well.LOOKLIV━ THE MAIL IN BALLOTSWILL BE QUARANTINED FOR ABOUT12 HOURS HERE AT THE WAREHOUSEBEFORE THEY CAN BE COUNTED.AND THEY COULD MAIL INS ASLATE AS TOMORROW.

IN BALTIMOREABBY ISAACS WMAR 2 NEWS.IKE WON R━ ELECTION, MICKEMANTLE WON THE lookliv━ THEBALTIMORE CITY ELECTIONDIRECTOR SAYS THEY HAVETHOUSANDS OF MAIL IN BALLOTS TOCOUNT..

AND THATFIGURE OUT HOW TO COUNT THEBALLOTS FOR ONE CITY COUNCILRACE..A PRINTING ERROR MADE THEMAIL IN BALLOTS UNSCANNABLE.

ITWAS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUEPRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONSIN U.S HISTORY THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC FORCED THE ELECTION TOBE LARGELY CARRIED OUT BY MAIL.BUT IN BALTIMORE CITY, ANUNANTICIPATED HIGH TURNOUT LEDTO LONG LINES AND THAT WAS JUSTONE OF MANY ISSUES STATEWIDE.When you try to put on a majormachine like this there aregoing to be issues A PROOFINGERROR RENDERED MAIL IN VOTESFOR THE DISTRICT 1