Democrats Blast Ehrlich's Absentee-Voting Initiative

Governor May Attempt to Ban Electronic Voting

Faced with intense opposition to his proposal to switch from electronic voting machines to paper ballots, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) yesterday urged voters to stay away from polling places during the November general election and instead cast paper absentee ballots.

Ehrlich's suggestions -- which he made through a senior administration official -- came after last week's primary, when voters experienced widespread problems at the polls.

"It's the most rational solution to the primary election dysfunction," said Joseph M. Getty, Ehrlich's policy director.

The plan was denounced by some Democrats who said it was another attempt by the governor, who is up for reelection, to boost his candidacy by suppressing voter turnout and sowing doubts about the state's electronic voting system.

And they said it was highly hypocritical, given that Ehrlich vetoed a bill last year that would allow voters to cast absentee ballots without giving a reason for doing so, saying it was "an invitation for greater voter fraud in the state."

The veto was overridden by the Democrat-controlled legislature.

In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans roughly 2 to 1, Ehrlich's critics said that the lower the turnout on Election Day, the better Ehrlich's chances are of defeating his Democratic opponent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley.

"Fear-mongering and scare tactics are longstanding strategies to keep voters away from the polls," said Derek Walker, a spokesman for the Maryland Democratic Party.

O'Malley spokesman Steve Kearney added, "Bob Ehrlich is simply trying to frighten voters away from the polls."

Getty denied that politics was behind the announcement. The governor has long believed electronic voting systems are susceptible to fraud and malfunction, he said, and Ehrlich believes the state should scrap its $106 million electronic voting apparatus.

On Wednesday, Ehrlich said he was mulling whether to call a special session to push for a law requiring paper ballots and banning electronic voting. Getty said yesterday that option was still on the table.

But that idea was rebuffed harshly Wednesday by leaders of the General Assembly and Linda H. Lamone, the administrator of the Maryland State Board of Elections. Getty said the governor decided yesterday that the next best solution would be to promote the use of absentee paper ballots. Those ballots would give voters a renewed sense of confidence in the voting system after a bumpy primary marred by human errors and technical glitches, he said.