Md. Voters' Choices Reflect Immigration Concerns

"Here we go again," Powell said of the voting problems. "A lot of people have been working very hard in this election, and to have people's votes not count or be counted twice is unacceptable."

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City Clerk Claire Funkhouser, who administers Rockville's elections, said the problem was discovered within minutes after the polls opened at 7 a.m., and election judges were instructed to use a backup voting system. In a few cases, she said, voters en route to work may have opted not to wait.

The state's list inadvertently marked as absentee the names of voters with a home address that begins with the number 5. Election judges kept track of those who showed up to vote in handwritten lists. And to ensure that voters only cast one ballot, election officials said they planned to compare the list to the names of those who actually cast absentee ballots.

"If someone were to take advantage of the system and vote twice, we will have a record of that, and there will be an investigation," Funkhouser said. "We're trying to make sure that that doesn't occur, but the onus is on the voter to vote legally."

Eleven candidates ran for four at-large seats on the Rockville City Council. Many residents considered the race one of the city's most divisive in recent memory. Giammo urged voters to oust the incumbents, in part because he and Hoffmann had battled with them over the city's trash pickup schedule.

In the Bowie election, mayoral candidate D. Michael Lyles, a council member and Defense Department lawyer, questioned posting Bowie police officers at the polls. Lyles mounted an aggressive challenge to Robinson, raising more than twice as much as the retired Prince George's police officer for his run. But Robinson won resoundingly.

Lyles was originally opposed to creating the town police department, while Robinson supported it. Though Lyles said he now favors making the department as strong as possible, he alleged that the police presence at polls served as a campaign poster for the incumbent, likening it to having a "PR campaign" greeting residents.

Robinson dismissed the allegation as "Election Day stuff," noting he played no role in deciding to deploy the force. Bowie City Clerk Pamela A. Fleming said city police attend all major events.

In Gaithersburg, seven candidates battled for three seats on the five-member council, in an election that touched on the emotional immigration debate. For three years, Gaithersburg was roiled by controversy over where to place a day labor center. Ultimately, Montgomery County stepped in and opened the center just outside the city boundaries.

The One Gaithersburg coalition endorsed three candidates for council who said they wanted to make the council reflect the city's growing diversity. Those candidates were Ahmed Ali, a U.S. Navy veteran born in Bangladesh; Carlos Solis, a 20-year resident originally from Ecuador; and Spiegel, a lawyer who has run for delegate.

The candidates also received support from Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D). Meanwhile, longtime Mayor Sidney A. Katz, who was not up for election, endorsed Spiegel, Ashman, a schools activist, and Drzyzgula. Also in the race were Shawn Ali and Wilson Lee Faris.

In Greenbelt, seven candidates competed for five at-large spots on the City Council. The council selects the mayor and mayor pro tem, positions that traditionally have gone to the top two vote-getters.

In the city's District 2, Stacey S. Baca, a stay-at-home mother, challenged incumbents Robert T. Catlin and John E. Perry for one of two open seats on the City Council. The vote count was so close that city officials will wait to count absentee ballots before declaring a winner.

Staff writers Hamil R. Harris, Steve Hendrix and Michael Tunison contributed to this report.