Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) this week sent a letter to Secretary of State Steve Simon regarding polling place mailers that were sent to voters prior to the Primary Election on August 9. Voters residing in mail-only precincts reported receiving postcards that gave them an address for a local polling location. In the cases reported to Sen. Howe’s office, the locations listed were closed and not accessible for voting. As a result, many voters found themselves unable to participate in the Primary Election due to confusion.

Sen. Howe released the following statement addressing the issue and his letter to Secretary Simon:

“After the primary election on August 9, my office received numerous inquiries from concerned voters living in mail-in-only areas, claiming they received mailers with the address of their local polling location. The voting location listed on the postcard mailer was not open for voting during the primary election day, causing confusion for many constituents. The address on the mailer should have only included the county office as a polling location, as that is where the constituents from mail-in districts would have to go to vote in-person on election day. A few of the constituents drove to the listed polling location, only to be met with a sign pointing them in the direction of the county office. Many constituents ran into that sign after work and could not make it to the county office in time before polls closed, therefore losing their opportunity to vote.

This week I sent a letter to Secretary of State Steve Simon, requesting clarification on this issue. Everyone deserves the opportunity to vote in elections, and it is unacceptable that postcards from the Secretary of State’s office impeded the ability of constituents looking to exercise this freedom. There is no excuse for this oversight, and we must find a solution.”