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December 3, 2023

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

News Election 2022

League of Women Voters Forum Schedule for the Primary Elections

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The League of Women Voters of Kent County announces its calendar of forums for the contested races in the upcoming July 19, 2022, Primary Election:

June 21, 7:00 – 8:30 pm: Kent County Commissioners Republican candidates– via ZOOM Webinar. Details to join the webinar will be posted on the League website:  kent-lwvmaryland.nationbuilder.com.

June 26, 1:30 – 3:00 pm: MD Senate District 36 Republican candidates. In person at Chesapeake College Cadby Theatre, and livestreamed to Facebook.

June 26, 3:15 – 4:45 pm: US House of Representatives District 1 Democratic candidates. In person at Chesapeake College Cadby Theatre, and livestreamed to Facebook.

June 28, 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Kent County Board of Education (nonpartisan). In person at Minary’s Dream Alliance, 9155 American Legion Rd., Chestertown, and livestreamed to Facebook.

In each forum, candidates will be given an opportunity to introduce themselves and will answer two questions from the League that they have received in advance.  The candidates will then respond to questions from the audience, and the forum will finish with closing statements from each participant.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government; it does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates for office.  

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Kent County Voters Who Cannot Vote by Mail Can Cast Their Ballots at Designated Locations

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While the majority of eligible Maryland voters are expected to vote by mail in the June 2 primary election, those who cannot vote by mail can either submit completed ballots at designated ballot drop-off locations or vote in-person at select locations on June 2.

In Kent County, eligible voters may submit ballots at the following ballot drop-off locations until 8 p.m. on June 2:

– Kent County Public Library, 408 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620
– Kent County Board of Elections, 135 Dixon Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620

Kent County residents who prefer to vote in-person on June 2 may do so between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the following locations:

– Kent County Public Library, 408 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, voting for the June 2 primary will be conducted primarily by mail. The pandemic also resulted in the date of the Primary being postponed from April 28.

Mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary have been sent by U.S. Postal Service to all eligible state voters at addresses provided to the Maryland State Board of Elections. While the mail-in ballots received by voters display the original Primary date of April 28, the ballots are in fact valid for the June 2 election. Voters should be aware these are official ballots that will record actual votes. They are not sample ballots.

The return ballot must be postmarked no later than June 2 but can be mailed at any time before election day. Voters should sign only the oath on the outside of the envelope but not the ballot itself.

Same-day registration will be available for eligible voters who choose to vote in-person on June 2; however, the Maryland State Board of Elections strongly encourages all voters who can cast their ballots by mail to do so. Voting by mail is safe, secure and free. No postage is required to vote by mail. Voters simply fill out their ballot, sign the oath on the envelope and place it back in the mail.

Votes cast by mail remain secret. The same technology and equipment used for in-person voting is utilized to count mail-in ballots. The equipment is never connected to the Internet or any other database.

The Maryland State Board of Elections is committed to educating voters on the changes made to the election procedures due to the novel coronavirus epidemic. These changes have been made to ensure voters can exercise their fundamental right to vote while also safeguarding the public’s health during this pandemic.

For more information about this election, please visit www.elections.maryland.gov or contact the State Board at 1-800-222-8683.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Cerino, Tolliver Challenge ACLU/NAACP on Voting District Concerns

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The Chestertown Council voted Monday to form a redistricting committee to redraw its voting districts by the next town election.

The vote comes on the heels a letter from the ACLU of Maryland and the Kent County NAACP that said the town’s voting wards were severely malapportioned and diluted black voting strength.

The last time Chestertown underwent redistricting was 1995.

Cerino said the voting districts have been a non-issue for him. 

“Not a single one of my constituents has ever said anything to me about how this was unfair,” he said. “I think half the people in town have no idea which ward they live in, so it just wasn’t on my radar, this was something that was done long ago. I have no idea how often we’re supposed to redo this.”

“This wasn’t an intentional slight by me or the council,” Cerino continued. “I believe the bigger problem we have is not racial injustice of the wards, it’s getting friggin’ people to run for office.”

Cerino pointed out that three current councilmembers, including himself, ran unopposed. 

“I don’t think it’s been a big burden on the town in terms of getting the representation that’s appropriate for the community,” he said. “I think we’re making a really big deal out of something that can be easily addressed by the council and rectified before the next election.”

Cerino acknowledged that the ward populations had become “out of whack” since 1995 and recommended that each council member select two people from their wards to staff a committee to study the issue, and also consider bringing in an outside consultant “to play with the lines.” Names for the committee members are due by the Feb. 18 council meeting.

“I don’t think this is an emergency,” he said. “We have almost two years to do this” before the next election to address population and ethnic representation.

               Recommended ACLU map for Chestertown

Ward 1 Councilman David Foster said that Maryland was one of the “chief offenders” in the 1960s for violating the “one man, one vote” rule under the Fourteenth Amendment.

He said the town should take a look at the wards after every decennial census. He also said that having the election in odd years reduces voter turnout. He suggested having elections in the same year as Congressional elections, which was a recommendation in the letter from the ACLU.

The ACLU letter came with recommended ward maps that would increase black voter strength in Ward 3 to 43 percent. 

“The existing four-ward election system in Chestertown is severely malapportioned, and also unfairly dilutes black voting strength,” said Deborah Jeon, legal director for the ACLU of Maryland, in a letter to Mayor Chris Cerino on Jan. 17.“It is imperative that the problems of Chestertown’s election system be corrected in advance of the next election.”

The ACLU found that most of Chestertown’s black population was split between Wards 3 and 4, causing a dilution of black voting strength.

Ward 3 Councilman Ellsworth Tolliver, the council’s only black member, contended that the ACLU had overreached in its recommendations on race–but he agreed the towns four wards needed to be reapportioned.

“All politics is local, I think in this particular instance the ACLU has overreached in its assumption that there needs to be this black voting block in Chestertown,” he said. “I agree with the opportunity to have parity in the wards in terms of [population]. I’m not on board with this thing about having this voting block that is dedicated to trying to elect an African American per se.”

Current ward map

Cerino said he tried to explain to the ACLU that they were trying “to gerrymander a ward that is already represented by an African American.”

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Chestertown’s Voting Districts Violate Constitution, ACLU and NAACP say

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The ACLU of Maryland and the NAACP of Kent County have notified the Town of Chestertown to correct its malapportioned voting districts and create a ward with a “substantial plurality” of black voters.

“The existing four-ward election system in Chestertown is severely malapportioned, and also unfairly dilutes black voting strength,” said Deborah Jeon, legal director for the ACLU of Maryland, in a letter to Mayor Chris Cerino on Jan. 17.“It is imperative that the problems of Chestertown’s election system be corrected in advance of the next election.” 

Chestertown last apportioned its districts in 1995–and since then the population of Ward 3 has swelled to twice that of Ward 1.

“Thus giving individual voters of Ward 1 a disproportionate voice in local elections, and Ward 3 voters proportionately less,” Jeon said.

The Supreme Court has interpreted the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to require voting districts be equal in population to the extent possible. Any deviation between the smallest and the largest district in a jurisdiction is “constitutionally suspect” if it exceeds 10 percent.

“Since the current election plan is dated 1995, it appears that the reason for this malapportionment may be that the Town has failed to redistrict periodically to keep pace with its legal and constitutional obligations,” Jeon said.  “As a result, Chestertown’s current system violates the constitutional principle of one-person, one-vote.”

The letter from the ACLU follows a story in the Spy on Dec. 11 that reported Ward 3 had twice the number of registered voters than Ward 2. 

                                       Figure 1. The current populations of Chestertown’s four wards

The Spy sought confirmation from the ACLU on the actual population of the wards because town officials could not provide the data.

The ACLU confirmed on Jan. 4 that the wards were malapportioned based on current census data for each ward. (See Figure 1)

The population was 70 percent more than average in Ward 3 and 26 percent below average in Ward 1, an overall deviation of 96 percent, “a variation that is constitutionally unacceptable,” Jeon said.

Most recent census data puts Chestertown’s population at 5,281.

The ACLU found that most of Chestertown’s black population was split between Wards 3 and 4, causing a dilution of black voters.

Wards 3 and 4 have the largest black populations, 35 and 25 percent respectively. Jeon said it was possible to redraw the four wards to include a ward with a larger population of voting age blacks–and also achieve proportional representation.

“It is possible to rectify the problems of malapportionment and racial fairness at the same time,” she said. 

An ACLU demographer drew a draft map that accomplishes both and brings the population deviation to less than five percent. The map also keeps current incumbents in their districts. (See Figures 2 & 3)

The ACLU also recommended that town elections be held on the same schedule as state or federal elections to increase voter turnout.

When asked for comment, Mayor Chris Cerino said he may comment on the issue at the Jan. 27 council meeting.

Ward 3 Councilman Ellsworth Tolliver said, “I am sure, together with my colleagues, we will make every effort to ensure a fair and equitable playing field for all the voters in Chestertown.”

                  Fig 2. ACLU proposed redistricting map for Chestertown

                    Fig 3. Shows greater racial fairness and a population deviation across the wards of less than 5 percent

      

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.