SALISBURY, Md. - With just eight days until Salisbury voters head to the polls, questions have arisen regarding the eligibility of one of the mayoral candidates. The Salisbury Election Board convened for a last-minute meeting to determine whether Megan Outten, a current city council member and mayoral candidate is eligible to run for Mayor.
Two Salisbury residents had filed a complaint with the Election Board, alleging that Outten did not meet the residency requirements necessary to run for mayor. To qualify for the mayoral race, a candidate must have resided in Salisbury for at least a year prior to the election. The complaint centered around doubts that Outten fulfilled this requirement.
At the Monday meeting, the Election Board deemed Outten’s proof of residency sufficient. The decision was unanimous among the board members.
Despite the board's decision, not everyone seemed content. John Rankin, a Salisbury resident, pointed out that two of the three Election Board members had previously made political contributions to Outten’s County Council campaign. Rankin addressed the board directly, highlighting those contributions made in 2022. However, the two members in question chose not to comment on the matter.
Outten expressed her confidence in the board's ruling, stating that she went above and beyond the typical requirements to prove her residency.
"I feel pretty confident in the board's decision, I know that I went a little bit above and beyond what a typical candidate does to prove residency. We provided a couple of leases, an affidavit of residency, so I really went above and beyond to showcase that and bring a different level of transparency to my candidacy," she said.
Lynne Bratten, another Salisbury resident, called for greater transparency in the Election Board's processes.
"You either live here, or you don't. You have all your mail delivered here or you don't. You vote here or you don't," she said in a public comment before the Board.
Salisbury's mayoral race features three candidates: businessman Randy Taylor, community activist Jermichael Mitchell, and Councilwoman Megan Outten.
Salisbury voters are set to make their decision on the next mayor and all five council seats in next Tuesday’s election. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
