In Maryland, Dems Capitalized on Mail-in Voting – But Repubs Didn’t

Nathan Schwartz and Brandon Schwartzberg, Capital News Service • June 6, 2023

As the 2020 presidential election neared, then-President Donald Trump warned all Americans — especially Republicans — about the supposed dangers he saw in early and absentee voting by mail.

“As far as the ballots are concerned, it’s a disaster,” he said during a September 2020 presidential debate, repeating a debunked argument that such ballots lead to election fraud.

But Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, was correct in one way. Mail-in voting was a disaster — for Maryland Republicans in 2022.

In five major races in the state, Republican candidates were ahead on Election Night only to see their leads slip away over the next few days as mail-in ballots were counted. Five conservatives lost their leads, too, in nonpartisan races for school board seats in the state.

Given what happened, a growing number of Republicans now say they must embrace mail-in voting to give themselves better odds in the future.

“I'm not aware of any efforts to help Republicans vote by mail, but on the Democrat side, there were a lot of efforts — and I think we're seeing that in the results,” said Del. Neil Parrott, a Republican who led in his race for the District 6 U.S. House seat on Election Night only to lose to the incumbent Democrat, Rep. David Trone, when the mail-in votes were counted.

Flipping the results

Amid the covid-19 pandemic, early voting and mail-in ballots became common ways to cast ballots in Maryland and across the country.

With over two million ballots cast in Maryland in the November 2020 general election, over 900,000 were cast during early voting or mailed in, state elections records show.

But in Maryland, the mail-in ballots could not be counted until after Election Day. That’s because then-Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed a bill that would have allowed for the early counting of mail-in ballots. Hogan said the election reform bill didn’t go far enough to prevent voter fraud.

The requirement that mail-in votes be counted after Election Day, combined with the Democrats’ embrace of mail-in voting, made for some misleading preliminary results on Election Night, for example:

In the race for Anne Arundel County executive, Republican County Councilwoman Jessica Haire led incumbent Democrat Steuart Pittman by 10,863 votes on Election Night. But once all the mail-in ballots were counted, Pittman won because 42,156 of the 58,504 mail-in votes went his way.

In the race to represent U.S. House District 6, Parrott led by over 11,000 votes just after Election Day, but Trone won by 24,524 votes because the Democratic incumbent received about 33,000 more mail-in votes.

In the election to represent District 33 in the Maryland State Senate, Republican Del. Sid Saab led Democrat Dawn Gile by 1,636 votes, but Gile received 7,328 more mail-in votes than Saab and won by over 6,000 votes.

In the race for Frederick County executive, Republican State Sen. Michael Hough led Democrat Jessica Fitzwater by over 11,000 votes just after Election Day. But Fitzwater received 10,868 more mail-in votes than her opponent. Paired with a 1,201-vote advantage in provisional ballots, Fitzwater defeated Hough by 989 votes.

In the election to represent District 9A in the Maryland House of Delegates, four candidates competed for two seats. Incumbent Republican Del. Trent Kittleman finished Election Night in the lead. However, a subpar performance for her in mail-in ballots dropped her to third in the race, narrowly missing out on re-election by 113 votes. Her closest opponent, Democrat Chao Wu, received 2,482 more mail-in votes.

Ben Smith, Steuart Pittman’s campaign manager, said the election results show how Democrats used mail-in voting to their advantage.

“Ensuring broad turnout was important to us, and vote by mail is an incredible asset in that respect, because it removes a lot of the barriers to participation that a voter might otherwise experience because of issues with transportation, childcare, work, or any other responsibility,” Smith said.

How the Democrats used mail-in voting

Yvette Lewis, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, said the party “spent a lot of time educating voters on how easy it was to do mail-in voting.”

She said the state Democratic Party sent digital ads to voters encouraging them to vote by mail. Meanwhile, Democratic volunteers called or texted voters and knocked on doors to deliver the message that voting by mail was easy and convenient.

As a result, Democrats “realize the importance, the ease of voting by mail and voting early, because all kinds of unforeseen things can happen on Election Day,” Lewis said.

Individual Democratic campaigns reinforced the message that voting early or voting by mail would be good options.

“We utilized methods of contact like calls, texts, door knocks, digital outreach, and mail to ensure voters knew how to vote by mail or in person during Early Vote and Election Day,” said Smith. “For vote by mail, when voters requested ballots, we put a lot of effort into ensuring that they returned their ballots.”

Given how much effort Democrats put into pumping up the mail-in vote, Trone didn’t panic and didn’t concede on Election Night.

“We always knew this race was going to be close,” Trone, who was running in a redrawn district that included more Republicans, told supporters in Frederick as the early Election Night count showed him falling behind Parrott by about six percentage points. “The district is different, and it’s going to take a few days for the election officials to finish counting the tens of thousands — and it is tens of thousands — of votes that are still outstanding throughout the district.”

That being the case, Trone, who was bidding for his third term, added: “I’m confident that we are headed back to Congress.”

His confidence was well founded. Trone pulled into the lead as the mail-in vote was counted, and three days after Election Day, the Associated Press declared him the winner. Trone finished about 10 percentage points ahead of Parrott.

What Republicans say now

While Democratic officials made early voting a priority among their voters, the same cannot be said for Republicans. Republicans did not use mail-in voting to their advantage, said Parrott, the losing GOP congressional candidate.

“I think going forward, the Republican Party in Maryland just needs to realize and voters need to realize this is the law,” Parrott said. “This is how elections are going be conducted.”

Parrott’s thoughts on mail-in voting for his party reflects those of the head of the Republican National Committee.

“Our voters need to vote early,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News in early December. “There were many [people] in 2020 saying, ‘Don’t vote by mail, don’t vote early,’ and we have to stop that, and understand that if Democrats are getting ballots in for a month, we can’t expect to get it all done in one day.”

Upset with the close result in her race, Kittleman tied her failed re-election bid to the GOP’s demonization of mail-in voting.

“There may have been a number of people who would have liked to vote but couldn't get out on Election Day, having been dissuaded from using mail-in voting opportunities,” she said. “I think it was a very bad move on our part.”

That bad move stemmed from what Trump said about mail-in balloting over and over again for more than two years, Kittleman said.

“President Trump and other Republicans are urging Republicans not to vote using mail-in ballots, which frankly is really, really stupid,” Kittleman said.

Noting that mail-in voting now appears to be a permanent and major part of every election, she added: “If you don't take advantage of it, you're cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

Capital News Service is a student-powered news organization run by the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For 26 years, they have provided deeply reported, award-winning coverage of issues of import to Marylanders.

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Megan Outten Launches Campaign for Wicomico County Council, District 7

By Friends of Megan Outten • July 29, 2025

Megan Outten, a lifelong Wicomico County resident and former Salisbury City Councilwoman, officially announced her candidacy recently for Wicomico County Council, District 7. At 33, Outten brings the energy of a new generation combined with a proven record of public service and results-driven leadership. “I’m running because Wicomico deserves better,” Outten said. “Too often, our communities are expected to do more with less. We’re facing underfunded schools, limited economic opportunities, and years of neglected infrastructure. I believe Wicomico deserves leadership that listens, plans ahead, and delivers real, measurable results.” A Record of Action and A Vision for the Future On Salisbury’s City Council, Outten earned a reputation for her proactive, hands-on approach — working directly with residents to close infrastructure gaps, support first responders, and ensure everyday voices were heard. Now she’s bringing that same focus to the County Council, with priorities centered on affordability, public safety, and stronger, more resilient communities. Key Priorities for District 7: Fully fund public schools so every child has the opportunity to succeed. Fix aging infrastructure and county services through proactive investment. Keep Wicomico affordable with smarter planning and pathways to homeownership. Support first responders and safer neighborhoods through better tools, training, and prevention. Expand resources for seniors, youth, and underserved communities. Outten’s platform is rooted in real data and shaped by direct community engagement. With Wicomico now the fastest-growing school system on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — and 85% of students relying on extra resources — she points to the county’s lagging investment as a key area for action. “Strong schools lead to strong jobs, thriving industries, and healthier communities,” Outten said. “Our schools and infrastructure are at a tipping point. We need leadership that stops reacting after things break — and starts investing before they do.” A Commitment to Home and Service Born and raised in Wicomico, Megan Outten sees this campaign as a continuation of her lifelong service to her community. Her vision reflects what she’s hearing from neighbors across the county: a demand for fairness, opportunity, and accountability in local government. “Wicomico is my home; it’s where I grew up, built my life, and where I want to raise my family,” Outten said. “Our county is full of potential. We just need leaders who will listen, work hard, and get things done. That’s what I’ve always done, and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do on the County Council.” Outten will be meeting with residents across District 7 in the months ahead and unveiling more details of her platform. For more information or to get involved, contact info@meganoutten.com

“Turtles All The Way Down”

By John Christie • July 29, 2025

Way back in 1935, the Supreme Court determined that independent agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) do not violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935). Congress provided that the CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, would operate as an independent agency — a multi-member, bipartisan commission whose members serve staggered terms and could be removed only “for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause.” Rejecting a claim that the removal restriction interferes with the “executive power,” the Humphrey’s Court held that Congress has the authority to “forbid their [members’] removal except for cause” when creating such “quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial” bodies. As a result, these agencies have operated as independent agencies for many decades under many different presidencies. Shortly after assuming office in his second term, Donald Trump began to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of several of these agencies. The lower courts determined to reinstate the discharged members pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation, relying on Humphrey’s , resulting in yet another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court by the administration. In the first such case, a majority of the Court allowed President Trump to discharge the Democratic members of the NLRB and the MSPB while the litigation over the legality of the discharges continued. Trump v. Wilcox (May 22, 2025). The majority claimed that they do not now decide whether Humphrey’s should be overruled because “that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” However, hinting that these agency members have “considerable” executive power and suggesting that “the Government” faces greater “risk of harm” from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty,” the majority gave the President the green light to proceed. Justice Kagan, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, dissented, asserting that Humphrey’s remains good law until overturned and forecloses both the President’s firings and the Court’s decision to award emergency relief.” Our emergency docket, while fit for some things, should not be used to “overrule or revise existing law.” Moreover, the dissenters contend that the majority’s effort to explain their decision “hardly rises to the occasion.” Maybe by saying that the Commissioners exercise “considerable” executive power, the majority is suggesting that Humphrey’s is no longer good law but if that is what the majority means, then it has foretold a “massive change” in the law and done so on the emergency docket, “with little time, scant briefing, and no argument.” And, the “greater risk of harm” in fact is that Congress provided for these discharged members to serve their full terms, protected from a President’s desire to substitute his political allies. More recently, in the latest shadow docket ruling in the administration’s favor, the same majority of the Court again permitted President Trump to fire, without cause, the Democratic members of another independent agency, this time the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Trump v. Boyle (July 23, 2025). The same three justices dissented, once more objecting to the use of the Court’s emergency docket to destroy the independence of an independent agency as established by Congress. The CPSC, like the NLRB and MSPB, was designed to operate as “a classic independent agency.” In Congress’s view, that structure would better enable the CPSC to achieve its mission — ensuring the safety of consumer products, from toys to appliances — than would a single-party agency under the full control of a single President. “By allowing the President to remove Commissioners for no reason other than their party affiliation, the majority has negated Congress’s choice of agency bipartisanship and independence.” The dissenters also assert that the majority’s sole professed basis for the more recent order in Boyle was its prior order in Wilcox . But in their opinion, Wilcox itself was minimally explained. So, the dissenters claim, the majority rejects the design of Congress for a whole class of agencies by “layering nothing on nothing.” “Next time, though, the majority will have two (if still under-reasoned) orders to cite. Truly, this is ‘turtles all the way down.’” Rapanos v. United States (2006). * ***** *In Rapanos , in a footnote to his plurality opinion, former Supreme Court Justice Scalia explained that this allusion is to a classic story told in different forms and attributed to various authors. His favorite version: An Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger. When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant, he says it is a giant turtle. When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies "Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down." John Christie was for many years a senior partner in a large Washington, D.C. law firm. He specialized in anti-trust litigation and developed a keen interest in the U.S. Supreme Court about which he lectures and writes.

“Andy Harris Just Made the Most Dangerous Vote of His Career”

By Shore Progress, Progessive Maryland, Progressive Harford Co • July 15, 2025

Marylanders will not forget this vote.

How Many Will Be Kicked Off Medicaid in MD-01 Because of Andy Harris?

By Jan Plotczyk • July 9, 2025

More than 30,000 of our neighbors in Maryland’s first congressional district will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of provisions in the GOP’s heartless tax cut and spending bill passed last week.

Six Reasons Why the House Budget Bill Will Hurt Rural America

By Michael Chameides, Barn Raiser • May 21, 2025

Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.

Who Will SNAP Cuts Affect in Maryland? On the Eastern Shore?

By Catlin Nchako, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities • May 21, 2025

The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.