EASTON, MD - Talbot County is experiencing a political standoff over the assignment of election judges for the upcoming election. Concerns have surfaced regarding the number of election judges and their political affiliations, sparking debates among local leaders.
The conflict arose when Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble reported receiving 25 complaints alleging potential voter disenfranchisement. The complaints center on an imbalance in the political affiliations of the election judges, with 62 Democrats and 50 Republicans.
Election Director Tammy Stafford acknowledged the issue but explained that maintaining an exact balance of party affiliations can be challenging because people get sick or have emergencies. “While we strive to be as party balanced as possible, there are sometimes reasons beyond our control,” Stafford said.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown weighed in on the issue in a letter sent to the Talbot County Sheriff this week. Brown clarified that state law mandates equal representation of political parties at individual polling places but does not require equality in the total number of election judges across the county. In the letter Brown wrote, "State law requires equal representation of the two principal political parties among election judges at each separate polling place but does not require equality in the total number of judges recruited and trained by the local board of elections."
In a meeting on Tuesday, Stafford announced updated numbers: 61 Democrats, 53 Republicans, and 10 unaffiliated judges are now assigned. Stafford also emphasized that for polling places with six or more judges, unaffiliated voters and 16-year-olds may be used to meet party balance requirements.
Despite these changes, Talbot County Councilman Dave Stepp remains concerned, stating that the law must be strictly followed. “I want the law followed. As an elected official who has a sworn oath to make sure state law is followed, I want our folks in charge of that. I want our board of elections as well as our elections director following that law," says steppe. He goes on to say, "That's why I believe we should make sure we're training an appropriate amount of folks and at least having them on standby. But you know at least going into the assignments of all of our polling places, the numbers should be equally represented."
Despite concerns from Stepp and Sheriff Gamble, the Talbot County Board of Elections has assured the public that judges' political affiliations will not affect the integrity of the election.
