Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Governor's 'normal' election plan could cost Maryland $21 million

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan

Gov. Larry Hogan instructed local election officials to keep all early polling places open this fall

Saul Loeb/Getty Images

Gov. Larry Hogan's decision to move forward with a "normal" general election in Maryland will come at a steep cost to the state, especially if the federal government doesn't lend a hand like it did for the primary.

The State Board of Elections estimated Tuesday that the governor's plan will cost almost $21 million. The amount is not entirely in the state budget because much of the money would go to print and pay postage on a surge of absentee vote applications, ballots and return envelopes — plus cleaning supplies and protective gear at 1,600 polling places. None of that was expected before the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats, local election officials and voting rights advocates have all raised concerns that the plan by Hogan, the Republican governor of a lopsidedly Democratic state, is setting Maryland up for failure. They worry it costs too much, could confuse voters and will stretch election workers too thin. But Hogan, who's already eying a run for president in 2024, has stood firm despite the pushback, saying his plan will give voters options.


Elections in Maryland get outsized attention, and can become a template for shaping policy, because so many federal officials and members of the media live in the suburbs adjacent to Washington.

And while not as chaotic as some primaries this year, what was designed as a mostly vote-by-mail set of nominating contests in June was not without problems. Some voters received the wrong absentee ballot, or not in the language requested. Others didn't get a mail ballot at all. These issues caused many more to vote in person than expected, resulting in hours-long wait times at polling locations across the state.

Because of the hiccups last month, Hogan decided to return to a more traditional process for November. While mail-in voting will still be encouraged, more early and in-person voting will also be available. Instead of what he decided for the Covid-19-delayed primary — when all 4 million voters were sent an absentee ballot — Hogan instructed election officials to send only an application for a mail ballot.

But the nine Democratic members of Maryland's congressional delegation worry this change presents its own problem. "This two-step process will likely confuse many voters who rightly expect — given their recent experience with the June primary — that they will be mailed ballots proactively," the lawmakers wrote Hogan two weeks ago.

And then there's the cost to consider. Sending these applications, and then the requested mail ballots, while also keeping early and in-person voting at full capacity is not cheap. In April, the state got the job done with its $7.5 million share of election funding included in a coronavirus relief package passed by Congress. Additional federal election assistance is far from guaranteed as negotiations between the Trump administration and congressional leaders got started this week over the final economic rescue package before the election.

Hogan seems determined to move forward, defending his plan Monday on ABC's "The View."

"We're encouraging to vote by mail. If you don't vote by mail, we have early voting," he said. "And then on Election Day, we're actually going to have the polls open, in case we have the problem we had in the primary," where some people weren't able to mail-in their ballots.

All those options are essentially asking local election boards to conduct two separate elections, six county executives and the mayor of Baltimore told Hogan in a letter last week. "This is a herculean task that not only keeps local election boards from building on the success and lessons learned in the vote-by-mail primary election, but sets up a course for failure," the officials wrote.

Read More

Celebrating Congressional Excellence: Democracy Awards 2025
United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Celebrating Congressional Excellence: Democracy Awards 2025

In a moment of bipartisan celebration, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) will honor the winners of its 2025 Democracy Awards, spotlighting congressional offices that exemplify outstanding public service, operational excellence, and innovation in governance.

The ceremony, scheduled for this Thursday, September 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C., will recognize both Republican and Democratic offices across multiple categories, reinforcing the idea that excellence in Congress transcends party lines.

Keep ReadingShow less
Political Assassinations Are Part of the “Constitutional Rot” That Afflicts America
Gen Z and the Dangerous Allure of Political Violence
Gen Z and the Dangerous Allure of Political Violence

Political Assassinations Are Part of the “Constitutional Rot” That Afflicts America

Americans are learning that democracy is a fragile thing. If it is taken for granted, it can wither almost imperceptibly.

Signs of that withering are everywhere. I won’t rehearse them here.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meacham: Political Violence in America Linked to Deep Questions of Identity and Inclusion

"Who is an American? Who deserves to be included in ‘We the people" - Jon Meacham

AI generated illustration

Meacham: Political Violence in America Linked to Deep Questions of Identity and Inclusion

In a sobering segment aired on CBS Sunday Morning, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham addressed the escalating wave of political violence in the United States and its implications for the future of American democracy. Speaking with journalist Robert Costa, Meacham reflected on the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and a string of violent incidents targeting political figures and institutions.

"We do not want to be in a place where, because you disagree with someone, you pick up a gun. That is not what the country can be. And if it is, then it's something different. It's not the America we want," he said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two speech bubbles overlapping each other.

Political outrage is rising—but dismissing the other side’s anger deepens division. Learn why taking outrage seriously can bridge America’s partisan divide.

Getty Images, Richard Drury

Taking Outrage Seriously: Understanding the Moral Signals Behind Political Anger

Over the last several weeks, the Trump administration has deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital to crack down on crime. While those on the right have long been aghast by rioting and disorder in our cities, pressing for greater military intervention to curtail it, progressive residents of D.C. have tirelessly protested the recent militarization of the city.

This recent flashpoint is a microcosm of the reciprocal outrage at the heart of contemporary American public life. From social media posts to street protests to everyday conversations about "the other side," we're witnessing unprecedented levels of political outrage. And as polarization has increased, we’ve stopped even considering the other political party’s concerns, responding instead with amusement and delight. Schadenfreude, or pleasure at someone else’s pain, is now more common than solidarity or empathy across party lines.

Keep ReadingShow less