Maryland

Early mail-in ballot counting helped call some Maryland primary races sooner

Published

7 months ago

May 20, 2024

Early mail-in ballot counting helped call some Maryland primary races sooner

Early mail-in ballot canvassing became an official mainstay in Maryland in 2024, helping elections officials to produce quick results in tight races on the night of the primary in contests for Baltimore mayor and U.S. Senate.

By Tuesday — the day of the primary — 146,840 mail-in ballots had already been counted across the state, data from the Maryland State Board of Elections showed.

That counting was made possible by legislation passed by state officials in 2023 to help local boards of elections more quickly process the increasing number of mail-in ballots.

For some races, that speed paid dividends.

On the night of the primary, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks defeated U.S. Rep. David Trone, a multimillionaire who injected more than $60 million of his own money into his campaign to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin.

Her victory came after polls earlier in the campaign, including one conducted for The Baltimore Sun, University of Maryland and FOX45, showed Trone with an advantage. Instead, Alsobrooks took a 10% lead over Trone as returns came in Tuesday.

Primary night vote counts included returns from the state’s eight-day early voting period, primary day itself and mail-in ballots canvassed ahead of Tuesday. About 463,000 of the now 576,896 Democratic ballots tallied in the Senate race were processed by primary night, state data shows.

In Baltimore, a call in the mayoral race this year came considerably faster than it did in 2020 when Brandon Scott did not become the clear winner until a full week after the Democratic primary. Chief rival Sheila Dixon further extended the race that year, waiting an additional five days to concede.

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic forced the state to hold its first election mostly by mail. Just 3,913 voters cast ballots in person, leaving the city with 156,164 mail-in ballots to count — a process that took many days.

This year, more than 32,500 voters cast mail-in ballots in Baltimore, about 95% of them from Democratic voters. Canvassing began in April and the Baltimore Board of Elections had 11,781 mail-in ballots counted by primary day.

Shawn Larson, a Baltimore Board of Elections information specialist, runs a ballot counting machine Thursday at the city Board of Elections warehouse. (Kim Hairston/Staff)

Scott opened up a sizable gap between himself and challenger Sheila Dixon on primary night — about 6,500 votes more than the former mayor. It was enough for The Associated Press to call the race at 11:24 p.m. Tuesday, and Scott declared victory minutes later.

Scott’s lead held Thursday as elections staff got to work counting many of the remaining mail-in ballots. With more than 14,800 new ballots tallied, Scott’s margin expanded to almost 8,900. Of the 79,159 votes counted in the race so far, about 80% were counted by primary night. At least 3,000 mail-in ballots have yet to be counted, and about 6,300 provisional ballots must still be considered.

Dixon conceded the mayoral race Friday.

Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs, said the early jump election officials got on ballot counting and the unexpectedly large margins for some candidates contributed to earlier results this cycle.

“It was always going to be a learning curve,” he said of Maryland’s implementation of widespread mail-in voting. “It feels like they’re getting better at it, and they’re going to get better at it each time.”

Hartley said most election watchers did not anticipate the U.S. Senate or mayoral race to be called primary night. But Scott opened a gap that Dixon was unlikely to close. She would have needed to win 60% to 70% of the remaining mail-in ballots, Hartley said.

“With Alsobrooks, it was like, wow, this is really over,” Hartley said. “But if it had been reasonably close, we would still be parked at the Board of Elections waiting for votes to come out.”

Some races, however, will always be too close to call on election night, Hartley cautioned. That was the case with several hotly contested races for the Baltimore City Council. Even after Thursday’s count, several remained undecided. Top candidates for the city’s District 11 in South Baltimore and District 8 in West Baltimore were separated by fewer than 150 votes.

Baltimore’s election board opted to pause ballot counting Friday and through the weekend. The process will resume Monday. Provisional ballots will be considered Wednesday.

Samuel McAfee, warehouse manager for board of elections examines a concern shown by an election judge as elections officials begin tabulating mail-in ballots for the Maryland primary. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) — Samuel McAfee, warehouse manager for the Baltimore Board of Elections, consults with a colleague April 22, 2024, as elections officials began tabulating mail-in ballots for the Maryland primary. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)

The 2024 primary marked the first year that elections officials were able to canvass mail-in votes ahead of Election Day on a nonemergency basis.

In 2020, when mail-in balloting was adopted in large numbers during the pandemic, then-Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order to allow local election boards to count on an emergency basis.

The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation in 2022 to make early canvassing a regular part of the election process beyond the pandemic. Hogan, a Republican, vetoed the bill, but some jurisdictions were able to start counting general election mail-in ballots before Election Day following a court ruling.

The bill was reintroduced and passed in 2023. Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, signed it into law, officially moving the start of the mail-in canvass across the state from two days after an election to up to eight days before the start of early voting.

Several local boards, including those in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Carroll and Harford counties began counting on the earliest possible day allowed under the new law.

As of Friday night, approximately 377,000 mail-in ballots were received of the more than 595,000 sent. Nearly 65% of received ballots have been counted, thus far.

Requests for mail-in ballots during the 2022 election reached over 642,000 — the highest in state history. In an interview with The Sun earlier this month, Jared DeMarinis, Maryland’s elections administrator, said he anticipates requests for the general election in November will break that record.

Ballot box outside the Enoch Pratt Free Library during early voting in Baltimore, Maryland. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) — A ballot drop-off box outside the Enoch Pratt Free Library on May 2, 2024, during early voting in Maryland. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)

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Maryland

Maryland can expect wet and warmer weather on the way after Christmas

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Maryland can expect wet and warmer weather on the way after Christmas – CBS Baltimore

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With Christmas and hopefully pleasant memories now behind us, all eyes are on the final weekend of 2024, and the last few days of this year. Our forecast looks to be a calm one with, by Saturday through New Year’s Eve, a nice warm-up coming our way. Not just a push of mild air but warm air with daytime highs, and overnight lows, well above the seasonal average.

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Maryland

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings (12/25/2024)

Published

13 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings (12/25/2024)

There’s no change at the top of the latest Maryland high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings. Bullis School, DeMatha Catholic, Georgetown Prep, St. Frances Academy and Glenelg Country School maintain their positions in the Top 5.

Edmondson-Westside is the biggest mover this week, going from 24th to No. 21 after knocking off then-No. 21 Baltimore City College. Prince George’s Christian Academy debuts at No. 22, thanks to its win over then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Academy.

Previous rank: 1

The Bulldogs, who lost in the Signature Series final at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic starting Friday.

Previous rank: 2

The Stags will play at the Governor’s Challenge in Salisbury, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 3

The Little Hoyas will play at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego starting Thursday.

Previous rank: 4

The Panthers, who defeated No. 7 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in overtime, will play at the Jordan Brand Holiday Classic in New York, Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 5

The Dragons will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 6

The Cavaliers will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 7

The Cougars, who lost to DeMatha Catholic and St. Frances Academy, will play at the Mid Penn Bank Classic in Pennsylvania Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 8

The Gaels will play at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic in Florida starting Friday.

Previous rank: 9

The Warriors will play at the Governor’s Challenge Saturday and Sunday.

Previous rank: 10

The Lions will play at the Governor’s Challenge Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 11

The Bengals have scored 90 or more points four times.

Previous rank: 12

The Patriots, who dropped close decisions to No. 5 Glenelg Country School and No. 6 Archbishop Spalding, will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic in Virginia starting Friday.

Previous rank: 13

The Lions rebounded from loss to SIdwell Friends School (D.C.) with victories over Mount Zion Prep-Blue team and New Hope Academy.

Previous rank: 15

The Dons, who’ve won three straight, will play at the Blue Jay Christmas Classic in New Orleans starting Friday.

Previous rank: 16

The Eagles will play at the Benedictine Capital City Classic starting Friday.

Previous rank: 14

The Mustangs, who went winless at the City of Palms Classic in Florida, will play Archbishop Wood (Pa.) at the Governor’s Challenge Monday..

Previous rank: 17

The Eagles will play at the Severna Park Winter Jam Tournament Thursday and Friday.

Previous rank: 18

The Lions have lost two of their last three decisions.

Previous rank: 19

The Crusaders knocked off District of Columbia No. 3 St. John’s College.

Previous rank: 22

The Pumas will host the Lou Wilson Holiday Tournament, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 24

The Red Storm, who defeated then-No. 21 Baltimore City College, will play at the Governor’s Challenge Thursday and Friday.

Previous rank: Not ranked

The Flyers, who defeated then-No. 20 Clinton Grace Christian, will play at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina starting Friday.

Previous rank: 21

The Black Knights, who dropped decisions to then-No. 24 Edmondson-Westside and West Catholic Prep (Pa.) will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 23

The Seahawks will play at the Governor’s Challenge, Friday and Saturday.

Previous rank: 25

The Hubs will play at the Skip Fowler Memorial Tournament in West Virginia, Friday and Saturday.

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Maryland

The rich and controversial history of Maryland’s clown ministers

Published

22 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

The rich and controversial history of Maryland’s clown ministers

We are fools for Christ’s sake.

So believed the apostle Paul when he penned a letter to the Corinthian church. And so, too, believed Maryland’s pioneering clown ministry.

This niche style of Christian outreach is as outrageous as it is earnest, and traces some of its roots back to Columbia. It’s perhaps a legacy that James Rouse never imagined when he founded the Howard County town, with its distinctive urban plan, efficient use of land and commitment to diversity. Rouse included a series of interfaith centers intended to bring people of different beliefs under one roof. The model inspired one local pastor at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church to pursue his own experiment blending liturgy with laughter.

These days, Rev. Floyd Shaffer is remembered by some as the “clown father” of modern Christian clowning. Though liturgical clowning already had a history in Europe, Shaffer spent his time in Columbia in the 1970s dabbling in clown ministry and eventually became known as a leader of the movement in the United States. He died three years ago, his wife Marlene Shaffer confirmed.

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Even though the whimsical ministry’s heyday was in the 1980s and ’90s, some Christians continue to answer the call to clown. And the practice has captivated new audiences on TikTok and YouTube.

Earlier this year, the Columbia Maryland Archives put together an online exhibit about the town’s nondenominational clown ministry, called Faith and Fantasy, which Shaffer founded in 1974. Archivist Erin Berry said staffers were inspired after stumbling across a popular YouTube channel’s episode on Christian clowning.

Shaffer’s idea for a clown ministry came to him in 1964 on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The pastor was in town for a Bible study and leafing through some books when he stumbled across the etymology of the word clown. He connected it with Jesus’ command to be a servant.

That same year, Lutheran church leaders were getting creative with clowns — and it wasn’t going over well.

The National Lutheran Council produced the short film “Parable,” which depicted Jesus as a white-faced clown and the world as a circus.

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The film’s 1964 debut at the New York World’s Fair roiled event organizers, some of whom resigned in protest. One “disgruntled minister threatened to riddle the screen with shotgun holes if the film was shown,” the Library of Congress noted when it announced that it had selected “Parable” for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012.

Six years later, Shaffer debuted as a clown minister for the opening day of Abiding Savior’s vacation Bible school, according to a news article preserved in Columbia’s archives.

Floyd Shaffer as Socataco and his granddaughter Erica play with a clown marionette. (Created by Floyd Shaffer/Courtesy of Columbia Maryland Archives)

“I don’t think that something that’s so controversial — I don’t know what other word to use — as clowning ministry could flourish in another place other than Columbia,” Berry said. “You could just try what you wanted to try.”

Other leaders within Columbia’s interfaith centers encouraged Shaffer to keep at it, said 86-year-old Marge Goethe. Her husband, Rev. Jerry Goethe, the pastor for Kittamaqundi Community Church, suggested to Shaffer that he teach a class on clown ministry. Together, the two men designed a seven-week course that covered theology, the history of clowning, skits and games to encourage playfulness.

Many local residents, including Marge Goethe, enrolled in the classes, embraced clown ministry and set out to visit children’s hospitals, retirement homes and domestic violence shelters. She learned how to silently deliver sermons with gestures and humor, but never mockery. Goethe used lipstick to draw a red circle — a symbol of the liturgical clown — on her cheek.

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Goethe developed her clown persona and named him Harry, after a man she knew as a child who lived on the streets. He was a reminder that she could either be the kind of person who brushed him off or helped him out.

Howard County’s clown ministry eventually grew to include as many as 300 clowns, The Baltimore Sun reported in 1994. Members of the Faith and Fantasy ministry went on to teach clown ministry around the country and internationally.

Not every audience loved the routine.

During a worship service at a Virginia college’s youth convention, Goethe and other clown ministers offered to draw the mark of the clown on people’s cheeks.

“What is that, the mark of the devil?” one man asked.

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Goethe couldn’t reply while she was in character.

“All I had to do was accept what he was feeling at the time and hope it changed at some point,” Goethe said.

Goethe still attends Kittamaqundi services and performs clown ministry. When people ask her about the decades she spent cheering up strangers, she worries she won’t find the right words to explain how rich clown ministry turned out to be.

“I did more good for people being silent,” Goethe said.

Shaffer eventually moved to Ohio and authored several books with titles such as “If I Were A Clown” and “Clown Ministry.” He produced instructional videos on clown ministry that lately have found a rapt audience on the internet.

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Jen Bryant realized she had a personal connection with clown ministry while putting together an episode on the subject for her YouTube channel, Fundie Fridays, which features cultural commentary on aspects of fundamentalist Christianity in the United States. The Missouri resident’s grandfather, a Catholic, performed for a time as a clown minister under the name “George-o.”

Every community seems to have its subcultures, Bryant said, and she found that was also true for clowns. There are classical clowns like Joseph Grimaldi, a Regency-era entertainer who introduced the white face makeup. There are dark clowns like Juggalos, a nickname for fans of the hip-hop group Insane Clown Posse. And there are scary clowns like Pennywise, the shapeshifting antagonist in Stephen King’s 1986 horror novel “It.”

At first, Christian clowns sounded like a meme to Bryant. The full story, she said, turned out to be “way more interesting.”

Bryant and her husband James Bryant ordered copies of Shaffer’s books and collected a variety of research on clown ministry for their episode, which posted in April. The hourlong segment earned an “overwhelmingly positive” response from their audience, many of whom are in the midst of deconstructing their faith and understanding of Christianity, Bryant said.

“Everyone just thought this was just the most pleasant little novelty,” James Bryant said.

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Maybe Christian clowns are even the original deconstructors.

“They’re people who went, ‘faith wasn’t working exactly how we wanted it to, so we broke it down and changed it,’” he said. “It worked. It has a legacy.”

Appearing in a video on Kittamaqundi’s YouTube page, Shaffer said clown ministry gives people a new way to live out and enjoy theology, “instead of being so glum and gloomy and solemn, as much of the church has become.”

Many Bible stories defy rational thought and that’s sort of the point, Floyd said in the video.

Scripture, Floyd noted, often suggests that God has a sense of humor.

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