BALTIMORE — Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox, who helped spread President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud in 2020, is criticizing Maryland officials’ legal action that would allow local election workers to count mail-in ballots earlier with the goal of reducing delays in releasing the results.
Mail-in ballots, which have become increasingly popular since the pandemic began, can only be opened beginning two days after Election Day under current Maryland law.
After a third of last month’s primary ballots were sent by mail and led to lengthy delays in calling some races, the four-member Maryland State Board of Elections voted unanimously last week to file a petition in a Circuit Court that would allow workers to process those ballots before Election Day. The results would not be released until after polls close on Election Day.
