SALISBURY, Md. — When Ukrainians went to the polls in 2019 and elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Maryland election decide was there to watch the democratic course of play out.
Maryland
Maryland professor observes elections up close
The election administration in his Maryland district on the Japanese Shore has been “extraordinarily effectively carried out,” particularly within the context of the European elections he’s seen.
“I can evaluate this with my abroad expertise in each very democratic states and really undemocratic states,” mentioned Becker, an adjunct professor of political science at Salisbury College, who has labored as a Wicomico County election decide since 2014.
He calls the method in Germany “the perfect I’ve seen anyplace,” noting the nation’s automated voter registration system, their use of paper ballots, and the counting performed by laptop.
“Maryland has a reasonably comparable system,” mentioned Becker, including that the one distinction is the German voter registration system is extra superior in preserving the pc information.
The previous State Division official noticed Germany’s 1990 election after the autumn of the Berlin Wall and monitored the method once more within the early 2000s when Angela Merkel was elected Germany’s chancellor.
Becker’s main election expertise over the previous decade, although, has been nearer to Berlin, Maryland than Berlin, Germany. He mentioned what he’s seen regionally serving because the chief election decide in Wicomico County’s Eden are strong procedures carried out by skilled election employees.
Election employees are educated, procedures are effectively defined, and the tools is delivered on time, Becker mentioned. “We will lay out the election polling place in beneath an hour.”
“In Maryland, we at all times have employees on website, we at all times have two or three folks, we at all times have representatives of each political events in order that there’s a verify and steadiness,” he mentioned. “That’s not the case in Belarus.”
As a part of his work with OSCE, Becker mentioned he witnessed poll stuffing within the Japanese European nation, which shares borders with each Russia and Ukraine. Extra votes have been added to clear poll containers, in all probability throughout the lunch hour, mentioned Becker, the OSCE-trained election observer. Belarus has solely had one president in its almost 28-year historical past.
“There have been alternatives for presidency officers to control the poll (in Belarus),” the Salisbury professor mentioned. “Not the case anymore in Ukraine (…) not the case in First District of Maryland, the place I’ve labored.”
Becker noticed each the primary and second rounds within the 2019 election of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who’s now combating to repel a Russian invasion.
Previous to Ukrainian independence from Russia in 1991, Becker mentioned the nation didn’t have expertise without cost elections, and it takes time for ballot employees to study.
Earlier than the 2019 election of Zelenskyy, he noticed elections within the Ukrainian port metropolis of Odesa earlier within the decade. The newest election was an enchancment from what he’d seen beforehand.
“I might see a gradual development,” mentioned Becker, “the place the ballot employees have been higher, the information have been higher, accounting methods have been higher.”
He observed just one or two weak spots in Ukraine’s elections, the place the switch of ballots from native precincts to regional precincts just isn’t as effectively managed as it’s in the USA.
The final election he labored was not abroad, nevertheless. It was in Wicomico County in 2020.
“The election officers on this district the place I work, Wicomico County, are hardworking, devoted, environment friendly, and efficient,” he mentioned.
Wicomico County’s Election Director Dionne Church mentioned the work of election judges is important, and functions for judges are accepted year-round.
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Sunshine for your Labor Day in Maryland
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Michigan State Has Several Things to Fix Before Heading to Maryland
Michigan State’s football team emerged with a 16-10 win against Florida Atlantic, but it was far from a convincing victory. The Spartans struggled throughout the game, exhibiting a range of issues that need immediate attention if they hope to find more consistent success moving forward.
With less than a week to prepare for its next opponent, Michigan State has a critical opportunity to address these shortcomings and refine its game plan.
The win over FAU exposed several areas of concern for Michigan State, particularly on offense. The Spartans were plagued by poor execution and missed opportunities, with several drives stalling due to penalties and miscues. The offensive line, in particular, struggled to establish a rhythm, which led to limited success in both the running and passing games.
Quarterback play from Aidan Chiles was inconsistent, with errant throws and a lack of cohesion with the receiving corps contributing to the team’s inability to sustain drives and put the game away early.
Defensively, Michigan State managed to hold FAU to just 10 points, but there were still some worrying signs. Despite the Spartans having multiple interceptions and a safety, they gave up several big plays, revealing potential vulnerabilities in the secondary and raising concerns about the unit’s ability to maintain discipline and focus throughout the game. Missed tackles and lapses in coverage could prove costly against more formidable opponents, making it imperative for the coaching staff to address these issues in the coming week.
Special teams were another area where Michigan State faltered. On multiple occasions, the Spartans gave up more punt return yards than they should have because of missed tackles.
With less than a week before its next game, Michigan State has a valuable window to regroup and make the necessary adjustments. The coaching staff will need to focus on tightening up execution across all phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams. This includes refining the game plan, improving communication and instilling a greater sense of urgency and discipline among the players.
The Spartans cannot afford to let the issues that plagued them against FAU carry over into their matchup against Maryland. If they hope to be competitive as the season progresses, the team must use this time to correct course and demonstrate growth in all facets of its game.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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Maryland Weather: Be on Alert for Isolated Severe Thunderstorms
BALTIMORE – Scattered showers will give way to mostly cloudy skies Sunday, with a chance for isolated severe storms.
Expect overnight lows in the 70s after a warm air mass moved through. A cold front will bring another chance for an isolated strong storms on Sunday. The day won’t be a washout, there is the possibility of active weather in the afternoon and evening.
The front will bring bright sunny skies for Monday with low humidity. Perfect weather for the afternoon barbecue or last summer activity. Kids getting back to school this week should expect refreshing temperatures… possibly even a little chilly with overnight lows in the 50s.
High pressure will control our weather for the middle of the week. Expect sunny skies and low humidity through Friday. Overnight lows Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the mid 50s, with afternoon highs in the upper 70s. The chance of showers returns late Friday.
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