Bins carrying mail-in ballots earlier than they have been counted after the first election this summer season. Picture by Danielle E. Gaines.
A authorized skirmish over the upcoming election got here to an obvious conclusion on Friday when the Maryland Court docket of Appeals issued an order permitting native elections boards to tally mail-in ballots as they’re delivered.
The courtroom issued its ruling in a four-page order that was signed by Chief Choose Matthew Fader and launched 5 hours after the seven-judge panel carried out a listening to.
The ruling represented a victory for the state Board of Elections, which petitioned for the precise to course of mail-in ballots as they arrive. The board expects a deluge of mail-in ballots this election. Below state regulation, mail ballots can’t be opened or counted till the day after the election.
The choice was a defeat for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dan Cox, a state delegate from Frederick County. He fought the board’s request in Montgomery County Circuit Court docket, and after a choose there dominated for the elections board, Cox appealed that call.
Advertisement
Throughout a circuit courtroom listening to final month, a lawyer for the elections board argued that maintaining to that timeline opened the likelihood that outcomes wouldn’t be recognized in time for county govt and council council members in constitution counties to take workplace in early December as required. Choose James Bonifant sided with the elections board, giving elections officers the precise to start processing and counting mail ballots beginning on Oct. 1.
On Friday in Annapolis, the board’s legal professional, Assistant Lawyer Common Daniel Kobrin, restated their rationale for desirous to depend — however not publicly report — ballots previous to Election Day. He stated elections officers throughout the state proceed to adapt to broad adjustments in voter conduct caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The board couldn’t foresee {that a} once-in-an-almost lifetime occasion in 2020 would so basically change the voting patterns in Maryland, and that the present statuary framework for canvassing and certifying outcomes wouldn’t be match, can be so ill-suited for that change in Maryland’s voting patterns,” he stated.
As of Oct. 6, 551,483 Marylanders had requested a mail-in poll, far eclipsing any prior election.
Kobrin additionally stated native elections boards don’t have the area to correctly depend ballots unexpectedly and should achieve this because the postal service delivers them. In Montgomery County, he famous, the county’s funds was finalized the day earlier than Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vetoed laws that may have allowed ballots to be counted early.
Advertisement
Ed Hartman, an legal professional for Cox, instructed the courtroom that he understood why the board would search permission to depend ballots early. He stated it would even be the easiest way to manage the election. However and not using a clear emergency, he maintained, the courts don’t have the ability to permit it.
“We’re speaking about ‘effectively, how can we assist the board of elections do their jobs higher,’” Hartman stated. “That’s not our job. That’s the job of the Common Meeting. And disgrace on ’em in the event that they didn’t do it proper. However that doesn’t imply that the Structure authorizes us to swoop in and repair what they did.”
Hartman stated the surge in the usage of mail-in ballots was “a fairly anticipated occasion that had been foreseen for some time frame” and subsequently not an “emergency” requiring a courtroom intervention fewer than 5 weeks earlier than Election Day.
In a press release, the elections board stated it’s “happy” with the excessive courtroom’s ruling. “This determination shall be instrumental in helping native election officers full the well timed canvassing and tabulation of those ballots and meet all related statutory deadlines,” the board stated, including that the state board and native boards of elections have begun “implementing the pre-Election Day canvassing protocols established throughout the 2020 Common Election.”
Gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox and his operating mate, Gordana Schifanelli, outdoors the Maryland Courts of Attraction Constructing in Annapolis on Friday. Picture by Bruce DePuyt.
Advertisement
Cox is a backer of former President Trump and has floated baseless allegations concerning the 2020 election. He hung out in Philadelphia as a part of “Legal professionals for Trump.” He didn’t subject a direct response.
The authorized debate over early counting started when Hogan vetoed a measure sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) on the Friday earlier than Memorial Day weekend. She instructed reporters that the weeks-long authorized battle triggered by his veto was avoidable. She accused the term-limited governor or trying to bolster his White Home prospects. “He was taking part in Republican politics by in search of an elections invoice to veto so he might attempt to pander to the Trump wing of his get together,” she charged.
Hartman and a second Cox legal professional, who was flown in from Mississippi for the listening to in Rockville, are being paid from marketing campaign funds. The courtroom ordered Cox to pay the prices related together with his authorized problem.
Previous to the appeals courtroom’s ruling, Cox left open the likelihood that he would take his combat to the U.S. Supreme Court docket. “That is the final phrase within the state of Maryland,” he stated throughout a information convention outdoors the Court docket of Appeals in Annapolis. “And I’m not going to invest on any legal professional recommendation or any choices. As a member of the Supreme Court docket bar, I’m at all times happy with the constitutional course of that you could at all times enchantment to the Supreme Court docket.”
“That’s not one thing that’s even thought-about at this level,” he added.
Advertisement
It is a breaking story. Will probably be up to date.
Ensure that your prospective college offers globally recognized credentials if you plan to further your education or practice internationally.
Consider Your Future Goals
Considering your goals when choosing an online college helps you select a program that fits your current needs and prepares you for long-term success.
If you intend to work right after graduation, choose a program that aligns with your desired career path. Look for concentrations or specialized tracks that can provide in-depth knowledge in your field.
Advertisement
However, if you plan to pursue further education such as a master’s or doctoral degree, ensure that credits from your online college are transferable to other schools. Also ensure that the college’s credentials are globally recognized, if you intend to work or study abroad.
Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options
Online colleges in Maryland (particularly private institutions), can be quite expensive, compared to other online schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average undergraduate tuition and required fees for four-year public schools is $9,750 per year; meanwhile, enrollees in four-year private colleges may pay north of $38,000 per year.
If private university tuition is out of your budget, consider enrolling in a state-owned online school such as the University of Maryland Global Campus, which only requires about $8,000 in annual tuition and fees.
Aside from seeking affordable online programs, here are other ways to fund your college education:
Complete the FAFSA®
Apply for institutional scholarships
Take a private student loan
Enroll in a work-study program
Ask your employer about a tuition reimbursement program
BALTIMORE – With a little more than two months until election day, the majority of Marylanders surveyed in the new Gonzales Poll would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump for president.
A total of 820 registered voters in Maryland who indicated they are likely to vote in the 2024 general election were queried for the poll by live telephone interviews, utilizing both landline and cellphone numbers between August 24 and August 30.
A cross-section of interviews was conducted throughout the state, reflecting Maryland’s general election voting patterns, the pollster said.
The Gonzales Poll stated that “the margin of error, per accepted statistical standards, is a range of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points and if the entire population was surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range.”
Advertisement
Presidential survey
According to the latest Gonzales Poll, 56% of Marylanders surveyed said they would vote for Harris over Trump for president.
According to the latest Gonzales Poll, 56% of Marylanders say they would vote for Kamala Harris over Trump for president.
Gonzales Poll
The poll says 84% of Democrats support the Harris/Tim Walz ticket and 80% of Republicans support the Trump/JD Vance ticket. Also, 83% of Black voters polled would vote for Harris/Walz.
Among the independents, 38% favor Harris/Walz and 36% prefer Trump/Vance, according to the poll.
Advertisement
Gov. Moore’s approval gets a bump
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who led the state’s response to the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March, has the approval of 64% of Marylanders surveyed. Moore has a 35% “mostly soft approval” among Republicans who were surveyed (7% strongly approve, 28% somewhat approve),” the poll shows.
His approval rating increased by 33% since the last Gonzales Poll in the winter.
His approval rating increased by 33% since the last Gonzalez poll in the winter.
Gonzales Poll
Last month, the governor spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, who was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.
Advertisement
He framed Harris’ candidacy as “the story of a prosecutor who defended our freedoms and had Maryland’s back when we needed it most. And now MVP: We’ve got yours.”
President Biden’s approval
The Gonzales Poll shows that 53% of Maryland voters surveyed approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing, while 45% disapprove. Seventy-six percent of the Democrats believe Biden is doing a good job in office, and 84% of Republicans disagree.
Gonzales Poll
State transportation and juvenile reform
According to the poll, 95% of Marylanders think it is “important for the State to invest in improving its transportation infrastructure.”
Advertisement
And, when it comes to juvenile crime, voters were asked, “What type of laws, in your opinion, ultimately better help our children under 18 who commit crimes – Laws that are strict, which include things such as juvenile detention and boot camps. This hold individuals responsible and accountable for their behavior; or Laws that are lenient, which include social programs and counseling. This recognizes that society is responsible for much of this behavior?”
The poll showed that 58% of Marylanders are in favor of strict laws, which hold juveniles responsible and accountable for their behavior, and only 34% desire laws that are lenient.
Gonzales Poll
The poll shows that 58% of Marylanders are in favor of strict laws, which holds juveniles responsible and accountable for their behavior, and only 34% desire laws that are lenient.
“A majority of nearly every demographic group backs strict laws to inspire a sense of personal responsibility and to best assist our juvenile offenders ultimately realize at least a chance at a successful, happy life,” the poll said.
Advertisement
Is the country going in the right direction?
Fifty percent of Marylanders polled say the country is headed in the right direction, while 45% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.
According to the poll, 93% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the right direction are voting for Harris/Walz, and 70% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the wrong direction are voting for Trump/Vance.
Fifty percent of Marylanders polled say the country is headed in the right direction, while 45% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Gonzales Poll
In the previous poll, 41% of voters said the country was headed in the right direction.
Advertisement
“The mood of voters in Maryland vis-à-vis how they perceive things overall going in the country is a tad less grumpy than it was in winter,” the Gonzales Poll said.
Adam Thompson
Adam Thompson is a digital content producer for CBS Baltimore.
Proud Montgomery County, MD resident Gavriella Kaufmann (Potomac) won her episode of FOX’s game show “Name that Tune”, which aired last week.
Kaufmann, who was born and raised in Potomac and graduated from Churchill High School in 2015, stated in an interview with FOX 5, that she has always been into music and referred to herself as a music and game show savant. When she saw an ad on LinkedIn about being on season 4 of the game show, she immediately knew she had to do it.
“I’ve loved game shows for as long as I can remember, and music has always been a huge part of my life. Being on Name That Tune was the perfect combination of both passions—it was like a dream come true.” Kaufmann told us.
The episode had a happy ending, with Kaufmann winning a whopping $85,000! She added, “When I was on Name That Tune, I was so focused on doing my best and naming as many songs as possible that I completely lost track of the score. It wasn’t until Jane, the host, told me my total. I was in complete shock, but it was such an incredible moment!”
