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March 26, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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Harris One of Four GOP House Members to Skip Historic Impeachment Vote

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Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st, was one of four Republican members of Congress who did not vote Wednesday as the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump for a second time.

With Wednesday’s historic 232-197 vote, Trump became the first president ever to be impeached twice by the House. Unlike Trump’s first impeachment, 10 House Republicans voted Wednesday with Democrats to send an article of impeachment to the U.S. Senate for a trial.

Harris, an anesthesiologist, said in a Wednesday tweet that he was in the operating room caring for patients, but would have voted against impeaching Trump.

Harris tweeted:

“Today, I spent my time caring for patients in our district during this pandemic. The Speaker’s divisive, hastily called, and politically motivated snap impeachment is a waste of time when we will swear in President-elect Biden in fewer than seven days’ time.

“In light of his calls for unity and healing, I call on the President-elect to disavow this action. Engaging in a political impeachment that will be moot in one week was another waste of time brought to you by the Democrat majority.

“While I certainly would have voted against impeachment, and the Congressional Record will reflect that, my constituents were better served by my work in the operating room today than by taking part in this pointless exercise.”

A number of Maryland lawmakers apparently feel the First District and the state would be better served if Harris is out of office entirely.

On Monday, 71 of 141 state delegates and 13 of 47 state senators signed a letter calling on Harris to resign for his support of objections to the electoral college results in Arizona and Pennsylvania and his lack of decorum on the House floor after a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol and killed a police officer.

Although Harris, in his tweet, argues impeaching Trump “will be moot” by Jan. 20 when Joe Biden is sworn in as president, many legal and constitutional experts note that a conviction in the U.S. Senate could carry consequences beyond removal from office.

If Trump is convicted, the Senate also could hold a separate vote to make Trump ineligible for holding any federal office in the future, which would put an end to his apparent plan to run again for president in 2024.

For the Senate to convict someone in an impeachment requires a tw0-thirds supermajority vote and the Senate previously has ruled that removal from office is automatic upon conviction and does not require a separate vote.

The Senate also has determined that disqualifying a person convicted in an impeachment proceeding is a separate vote that may be decided by a simple majority.

Biden Elected 46th President of the United States

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After more than three days of uncertainty in a closely-contested race, former Vice President Joe Biden has defeated President Donald Trump to become the 46th president of the United States.

California Sen. Kamala Harris also made history, as she will become the first woman — and first woman of color — to hold the vice-presidency. She is of Jamaican and Indian descent.

“America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country,” Biden tweeted just before noon Saturday. “The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a president for all Americans – whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.”

After four days of waiting, news organizations declared Biden the winner late Saturday morning after new returns from his native state of Pennsylvania made it clear he would take the battleground and its 20 Electoral College votes, giving him 3 votes more than needed to make him president.

The president-elect, who turns 78 on Nov. 20, began his political career with narrow victories in Delaware and election to the United States Senate in 1972 weeks before he turned 30. He twice previously ran unsuccessfully for the presidency – in 1988 (ended after just three and a half months in 1987) and again in 2008. He will finally make it to the White House with another close win.

He amassed more votes than any other presidential candidate in American history, breaking the record that President Barack Obama set in 2008.

Harris’s ascension to the vice presidency will be “really wonderful for the United States,” said William Spriggs, an economics professor at the Californian’s alma mater, Howard University, an historically black institution in Washington.

“I think this will start a legacy that Americans will finally get used to the idea of women in leadership, and accept her role as setting the mark and paving a path for other women to ascend to top leadership,” Spriggs told Capital News Service.

Harris, 56, is a challenger-turned-ally of Biden. A rising progressive star, she attacked him during the primary for his opposition to busing to desegregate schools. She also set herself apart from the political veteran by embracing the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-All, as well as calling for a ban on fracking.

Harris is expected to bring a more progressive perspective to the moderate president-elect’s agenda.

With the coronavirus pandemic raging across the nation, it appears unlikely that Biden and Harris would celebrate the start of their administration in the traditional manner that would call for an oath-taking ceremony Jan. 20 on the West Front of the United States Capitol, witnessed by massive crowds stretching for blocks on the National Mall.

The inauguration plans are to come, but Biden and Harris already have activated a website for the transition and are assembling a transition team. As a symbol of the coming change in power, the United States Secret Service earlier in the week dispatched additional agents to the Biden home in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Federal Aviation Administration designed the skies above that home as restricted airspace.

Despite the pandemic — or many experts believe because of the various voting methods it made necessary — the total turnout for this election is expected to break a 120-year-old record.

Michael Hanmer, research director for the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civil Engagement, said “motivational factors (to vote) were just more present” in this election, though voting law changes to accommodate the pandemic also played a part.

The small margin of victory, combined with the overwhelming use of mail-in ballots, appeared to infuriate the president, as he continued to falsely claim that he was cheated out of reelection. Some of his Republican allies made similar unfounded attacks, while others in the GOP – mainly those out of office – denounced Trump’s accusations as dangerous and irresponsible.

Trump had repeatedly questioned the legality of mail-in ballots and discouraged his supporters from voting by mail. As a result, mail-in ballots in many states with little history of using that voting method leaned very heavily to Biden.

Many states counted mail-in ballots after tabulating Election Day ballots cast in-person, initially generating the appearance of a Republican surge in some of the battleground states. But the counting of the mail-in ballots – a slow process – began producing a Democratic counter-wave that materialized as early as Wednesday.

Multiple networks — including ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and CBS — cut away almost at the start of a Trump speech in the White House Thursday night when the president leveled baseless and false claims about the vote counts.

“If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us,” Trump claimed.

No credible evidence of fraud has been produced, according to the Associated Press.

The president’s claims of cheating were “especially disconcerting because the dangers of Trump’s rhetoric will outlive his time in the office,” Peter Ubertaccio, dean of arts and sciences at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, told CNS.

Millions of people believe Trump’s accusations of voter fraud despite no neutral observers stepping in to raise concerns about legitimacy, he said. This will, in turn, lead many citizens to believe that this election was stolen from Trump, Ubertaccio added.

“On the list of dangerous things Donald Trump has done, this ranks pretty highly — he has basically called American elections illegitimate because they didn’t go his way,” Ubertaccio said.

While counting of votes continued, the Trump campaign filed lawsuits to stop the counts in Michigan, Georgia — where federal judges rejected them — and Pennsylvania.

Caleb Jackson, a voting rights attorney at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, called the lawsuits “absolutely frivolous and meritless” that “will not get them anywhere and not have an impact on the election.”

In states where mail-in ballots seemed to be benefitting Trump a bit more, such as Arizona, the president and his allies urged election officials to count every vote.

“Of course it’s contradictory,” Jackson said. “There’s nothing legally that bars them from making those arguments, but, you know, professionally and ethically…it goes against what you swear to do as an attorney.”

In states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, automatic recounts will be generated if the margins are 0.5% or less. But recounts also can be requested by Trump’s team and were expected.

Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has announced Friday that there will be a recount in his state.

But Biden’s victory, especially given the closeness of this race, does not indicate that it would necessarily open the way for significant policy changes, Ubertaccio said.

“We are a 50/50 country, and partisans on both sides have an active dislike of the folks on the other side,” said Ubertaccio. “Even landslide victories don’t by themselves indicate long-term changes to American politics.”

If Republicans retain control of the Senate, which is not yet clear, Biden would have a hard time getting legislation to pass without the acquiescence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

While it was Biden who often negotiated with McConnell during the Obama years over budget deals and other legislation – both drawing on their long relationship with each other – the new president would be dealing with very different political dynamics after a hard-fought, divisive election.

With Senate races waiting to be called, the current makeup is even with 48 members projected to be on each side of the aisle, and two runoff elections in Georgia in January present the Democrats with an opportunity to take control of the chamber.

Even so, it was the stark contrast between Biden’s progressive agenda and Trump administration policies that “helped drive turnout,” Hanmer said.

“Most people had a pretty good understanding of what they would get with Donald Trump if he were to win, and what they would get from Joe Biden if he were to win,” he added.

By Kaanita Iyer, Jacob Rousseau, Gracie Todd, Luciana Perez-Uribe, Aneurin Canham-Clyne, and Michelle Siegel

Dorchester Voters Pick School Board Members; Kent, Talbot Races Unopposed

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Voters in Dorchester, Talbot, and Kent counties elected candidates to 4-year terms on their county school boards.

Dorchester was the only county that had contested school board races.

In District 1, Mike D. Diaz defeated Phil Bramble to win a seat on the Dorchester County Board of Education. Diaz won 62% to 37%.

Susan Morgan ousted incumbent Philip W. Rice, the current school board president, in District 3, winning 68% to 31% for Rice.

Laura Hill Layton kept her District 5 seat, defeating Voncia L. Molock in a rematch of the 2016 election. Layton had 66% to 34% for Molock. In 2016, Layton won 73% to 27%.

In Talbot County, candidates for the three seats up for election ran unopposed.

Candace Henry won District 2, Susan Delean-Botkin was re-elected in District 5, and Mary Wheeler was re-elected in District 6.

In Kent County, Joe Goetz and Francoise Sullivan were unopposed in their bids for the two seats up for election.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid-Shore Counties Favor Trump, But Margins Differ From 2016

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Voters in Talbot, Dorchester, and Kent counties again favored Republican Donald Trump for president.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden outperformed Hillary Clinton in one county, while the incumbent had a higher percentage of the vote in 2020 in the other two.

In Talbot County, Trump’s margin of victory slipped from 2016.

Unofficial 2020 results show Republican incumbent Trump with 50.5% of the vote in Talbot County. Democrat Joe Biden garnered 47.3% and Libertarian Jo Jorgensen had 1.1%.

Vice President Joe Biden (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

Biden is faring better in Talbot County than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Trump took 53.06% of the county’s vote four years ago, Clinton had 42.81%, Libertarian Gary Johnson had 3.13%, and Green Jill Stein had 1 percent.

The 2020 numbers likely will shift as election officials count remaining ballots on Nov. 5 and Nov. 13.

Republican incumbent Rep. Andy Harris also saw his Talbot County support dip in the 2020 race for First District.

Harris sits at 54.9% in Talbot and Democratic challenger Mia Mason has 45%.

In 2016, Harris had 60.8% of the vote in Talbot County, with 35.79% for Democrat Joe Werner and 3.41% for Libertarian Matt Beers.

In Dorchester County, Biden underperforms Clinton; Harris maintains margin of victory

Trump leads Biden 58.2% to 39.5% in the county. In 2016, Trump had 55.7% to 41.35% for Clinton.

Harris currently has 62.1% of Dorchester’s vote, with 37.7% for Mason. In 2016, Harris had 61.27%, Werner had 35.82%, and Beers had 2.9%.

Biden polls lower in Kent County: Harris essentially unchanged

Trump has 52.5% of Kent’s vote this year; he had 49.36% in 2016.

Biden has 44.9% compared to 46.31% for Clinton four years ago.

Harris essentially maintained his margin of victory from 2016.

Four years ago, Harris had 56.36%, Werner had 40.44%, and Beers had 3.2%.

Harris currently has 55.4% of Kent’s vote this year and Mason has 44.4%.

This post has been updated to correct the election year in which Joe Werner challenged Andy Harris.

Elections Officials’ Advice: Bring Mail-in Ballots to Drop Boxes

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With reports of slow mail delivery across the country, Maryland election officials are urging voters to return their mail-in ballots at drop-boxes throughout the state instead of using the Postal Service.

Maryland State Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone said in a statement that she doesn’t think voters who already cast their ballots by mail should worry, but said using a drop box will ensure ballots are counted on time. Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 3, and will need to get to election officials by Nov. 13 to be counted.

“While we don’t anticipate any issue with ballots already cast by mail, we are closely monitoring reports from the United States Postal Service that delivery times continue to be considerably longer than normal,” Lamone said. “In light of this, as we approach Election Day, we encourage voters to drop off their ballot at an authorized drop box. This will allow them to be confident their vote will be received and counted in a timely fashion.”

A total of 284 ballot drop-off boxes are scattered throughout the state for the upcoming election, including outside of every early voting center. Voters have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to use the drop-off boxes.

On Monday, the first day of early voting in Maryland, voters waiting in line at jurisdictions across the state told Maryland Matters that fears over Postal Service delays led them to cast their ballots in person.

The warning from state election officials came on the same day that Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, slammed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over mail delays.

In a release, the pair blamed DeJoy for the slow mail delivery. DeJoy previously came under fire for a slew of operational changes at the Postal Service that led to mail delays over the summer, including slashed overtime and the removal of mail sorting machines from facilities across the country.

DeJoy, a wealthy donor to President Trump, said he’d postpone any “longstanding operational initiatives” until after the election. Maloney and Connolly, however, say DeJoy hasn’t done enough to prepare the Postal Service for the election.

“Despite his assurances, the Postmaster General has failed to fix the problems he created and cannot be relied on for the on-time delivery of Election Mail,” Maloney said. “At this point, Americans should either vote in person or drop their ballot in an official drop box to avoid their ballots not being delivered on time.”

More than 1.6 million Marylanders requested mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election, according to data from the State Board of Elections. As of Wednesday, more than 1.07 million of those ballots have been returned to local boards of elections.

Marylanders who requested a mail-in ballot can still cast an in-person provisional ballot if they choose. If local boards of elections receive a mail-in ballot and a provisional ballot from the same voter, however, only the mail-in ballot will be counted.

On Wednesday alone, 159,246 Marylanders had cast in-person early voting ballots or provisional ballots. On Monday, the state saw a single-day early voting turnout record shattered as more than 161,000 voters flocked to the polls. Tuesday saw more than 153,000 voters casting early or provisional ballots.

By Bennett Leckrone

Everything You Wanted to Know About General Election Voting in Md.

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The 2020 presidential general election will be unprecedented in many ways. From mail-in ballot applications to voting center shakeups, here’s what you need to know as Nov. 3 looms:

How can I register to vote for the Nov. 3 election?

You can register to vote online, or you can submit a voter registration form to your local board of elections or the State Board of Elections.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 13.

You’re eligible to register to vote in Maryland if you’re a U.S. citizen, Maryland resident and at least 16 years old, although you won’t be able to vote unless you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election.

How can I tell who’s on my ballot?

You can view a sample ballot via Maryland’s online voter lookup system. You can find out more about the candidates on your ballot and local elected officials by searching Ballotpedia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan online political encyclopedia.

Will I automatically receive a mail-in ballot?

No. If you are a registered voter, you are slated to receive an application for a mail-in ballot in the mail. While registered voters automatically received a mail-in ballot in the state’s June 2 primary election, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) ordered that registered voters receive mail-in ballot applications for the Nov. 3 election.

Where can I apply for a mail-in ballot?

You can apply for a mail-in ballot online if you have a Maryland Driver’s License or state-issued identification card. If you are registered to vote, you are also set to receive a ballot application in the mail. You can complete and return that application by mail for free, or fill out the form at your local board of elections. Many local boards have closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, so be sure to contact your local board before attempting to apply in person.

If you applied online and still received a mailed application form, you may not have to return it. You can check your application status via Maryland’s online voter lookup system.

Can I request an emailed ballot?

You may choose to have your ballot delivered to you electronically, although you will have to print and return the ballot.

State Board of Elections members have asked that Marylanders use mailed ballots instead of ones printed at home. Ballots printed at home need to be hand-copied by a bipartisan team of election judges onto official forms that can be processed by the state’s voting machines, officials say, delaying election results.

Will my ballot and application postage be paid for?

Yes — unless you request your ballot be delivered to you electronically, which requires you to print it at home.

Postage on ballots and applications will be paid for by the state and local boards, although election officials recently requested that the state foot the bill for all of the postage to take the burden off of local boards. That issue has yet to be resolved.

What’s the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot?

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 20.

When will I receive my ballot application?

Ballot applications are already being sent to registered voters. If you applied online or already returned your mail-in ballot request form, you can check the status of your application online using the voter lookup system.

Is mail-in voting secure?

Deputy Election Administrator Nikki Charlson noted that mail-in voting, which state officials called absentee voting up until this year, has been around in Maryland for decades. She said state officials have “very mature” procedures for tracking mail-in ballots, and use constant audits to ensure mail-in ballots are counted and processed correctly.

Charlson also said ballot drop-off boxes, which will be deployed across Maryland in the coming months, are made from 400 pounds of galvanized steel and are under 24-hour surveillance.

The amount of fraud in mail-in elections is miniscule: A Washington Post analysis of mail-in elections found just 372 possible cases of voter fraud out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections — a rate of about 0.0025%.

Can I track my mail-in ballot?

You’ll be able to track your ballot’s status through Maryland’s online voter lookup system. You can also use the Postal Service tracking number to see the status of your ballot’s delivery.

If you choose to return a ballot by mail, you’ll need to make sure your envelope is postmarked on or before Nov. 3. Your ballot must be received by your local board of elections by 10 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Will the Postal Service be able to deliver my ballot in time?

Delays in mail delivery resulting from Postal Service policy changes by President Trump’s appointed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, recently ignited concerns about mail-in ballot delivery in the upcoming election. U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) charged at an Aug. 17 news conference in Baltimore that Trump and DeJoy are attempting to sabotage the Postal Service.

“They’re trying to make it harder for people to vote,” Cardin said. “That’s unconscionable in a democracy.”

State Board of Elections Chairman Michael C. Cogan (R) said at an Aug. 19 board meeting that he has full confidence that postal workers will step up to ensure a smooth November election.

“The United States Postal Service was terrific in their service in the June election,” Cogan said. “They worked extremely hard to support us, and to ensure that things got done. There’s no reason to expect that we will not see the same level of service in November.”

Postal workers have likewise urged the public to “keep the faith” and support the Postal Service as the Nov. 3 election looms. Charlson said election staff are working closely with the Postal Service, but urged voters to submit their mail-in ballots as early as possible to avoid delays.

How else can I turn in my mail-in ballot?

Election officials plan to deploy ballot drop-off boxes throughout the state. It’s not yet clear exactly where those boxes will be deployed, as local boards of elections are still preparing for the upcoming election. This article will be updated when a list of locations becomes available.

You can also hand-deliver your mail-in ballot to your local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Nov 3. Or you can drop off your ballot at an early voting center, an Election Day vote center or a polling place by the time the polls close.

Can I vote in person?

Yes, but it won’t look like a traditional polling location. Hogan recently approved a State Board of Elections plan to open larger, limited in-person voting centers on election day. There will be at least 360 voting centers open across the state for the Nov. 3 election.

Maryland’s roughly 80 early voting centers will also be open for the upcoming election. Early voting in Maryland will take place between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, state election officials decided at an Aug. 12 meeting. Those centers will remain open on Election Day.

Early voting and Election Day voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters waiting in line at 8 p.m., when polls are supposed to close, will still be allowed to vote.

Where is my polling place?

A list of voting centers for early voting and Election Day will be linked here as soon as locations are finalized. Local boards of elections are still working to nail down locations for the Nov. 3 election.

Voting centers don’t operate like precincts, and you won’t need to go to a specific location to cast your ballot — as long as the one you visit is in the jurisdiction where you reside.

Should I go to the polling center on my voter registration card?
 
Some voter registration cards might contain an outdated polling place. Election officials are still in the process of approving early voting and Election Day voting centers, and you’ll soon be able to check those locations online.
Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery County) said she received a card that listed her November polling locations as the Julius West Middle School in Rockville. That school won’t be used as a voting center in the upcoming election, according to Montgomery County’s recently-approved plan. Kagan said some of her constituents also received outdated information on their voter registration cards.
You’ll be able to go to any voting center in your area to cast your ballot, as they aren’t precinct-level locations.

What precautions are in-person voting centers taking to keep voters, poll workers and other visitors healthy?

Charlson said voting centers will be incorporating social distancing measures for the November election. Voters will be more spread out, and election judges will be provided with personal protective equipment.

How do I sign up to be an election judge?

You can sign up to be an election judge online. The position is paid, and you must be a registered voter to qualify.

You must also be physically and mentally able to work at least a 15-hour day, be willing to work outside your home precincts, be able to sit or stand for an extended period and be able to speak, read and write English.

Election judges must be at least 16 years old, although if you are 16 you will need permission from a parent or guardian.

Some counties are looking for judges from specific parties. Allegany County is looking for Democratic election judges, while Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Talbot Counties need more Republican judges.

Local boards of elections faced a massive shortage of election judges prior to the switch to voting centers, and there are still vacant positions throughout the state. 

Will all of the results be up on election night?

Charlson said voters shouldn’t expect a traditional election night. Like the June primary, Charlson said it may take some time before winners can be declared. She said election officials will release the results from early voting, and the results of already-counted mail-in ballots, when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

By Bennett Leckrone

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.

Addressing Inequities of Chestertown Voting Districts, by Bill Arrowood

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Your December 11 article, Redistricting, Reapportionment Overdue in Chestertown, is a very succinct statement of facts of the inequities of our local voting districts, something I have been trying to get traction on every election cycle for years.

Not addressed is that the demographics of certain wards are somewhat carved out and have the appearance of being very specific, something that allegedly looks like a lot like old fashioned gerrymandering. (Historically, Ward 3 contains the majority of the African American population of the town and at the time of drawing of the map, also included the most of the subsidized and lower income communities).

Further having areas like Foxley Manor in the downtown/business Ward 2 are out of place. Foxley Manor resident issues have more in common and are geographically closer to its neighbors on the other side of the woods, Washington Park and Coventry Farms, (which didn’t exist last time the Ward Maps were drawn), than with High Street and Cannon Street. One can only supposed this was done to balance the ledgers, but why wouldn’t Ward 2 include Kent Crossing or Upper High Street, which is closer and includes mixed residential and business, like the rest of the Ward.

The dividing of Water and Queen Streets looks like a separation of the wealthiest properties into the more, (at the time), affluent Ward 1, also feels like it had more to do with who lives where than simple straight lines on a map. (with some exception, Water/Front Street south of High was not as gentrified as it stands today).

The annexation of the new Dixon Property and its proposed infill of workforce residential will also add to the imbalance in the wards and should be addressed in advance of their completion. (This residential boom was something the Town anticipated on the Cross Street Extension 30 odd years ago that has never materialized, but is actively happening now on Scheeler Road)

I do not suggest that this map was drawn 30 years ago with any malice or malfeasance, I do however argue that it is well past time for its update and that geography and like zoning should be a consideration as well as population balance.

I would go so far as to suggest an amendment to the Town Charter to allow for an At-Large council seat for Chestertown ‘residents’ that are considered Chestertownians but not officially inside the legal boundaries. Parts of Morgnec Road and Quaker Neck Road and Crestview are surrounded by the borders of town, but not a part of the Town proper, or areas like Country Club Estates represent significant populations who deserve a level of engagement.

This seat could be restricted for voting on matters of budgeting and finance, as those residents are not subject to Town Real Estate Tax, but it would increase the overall responsibility that the Town of Chestertown and its Council has to all its ‘residents’ and offer an opportunity for broader inclusion to its impacted community. I would also consider, as the Board of Education has done effectively, consider a student seat for a Washington College student. As the college grows, (now over 1,300 in enrollment), what happens at the college and its students are a major factor in what happens to and in the town. Again, even if this was a not fiscal voting position, offering a seat at the table to a student/staff would make strides in increasing the ‘town and gown’ relations.

Or that as Chestertown is only a handful of municipalities of its size that seats are not At-Large, perhaps its time to consider that as well, and dispel any inequities of population and demographics and have each council member assigned a basic quadrant for reports, which if not bound by voting poles can be divided simply and evenly by zoning and property.

This is not an easy issue to fix with a sharpie and a map, (well technically, given that borders should be based on straight forward math and zoning, maybe it is); but it certainly is one that deserves attention and could be resolved with equity and common sense. I hope that this article shines a light on this and the Mayor & Council will find time to address this before the town’s next election cycle.

Bill Arrowood ran for mayor in 2013 and is the former chair of the recreation commission.

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Redistricting, Reapportionment Overdue in Chestertown

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With the 2020 census around the corner, Chestertown is closing in on a quarter-century since it last reapportioned its four voting districts.

State law gives no redistricting guidance to municipalities; so local jurisdictions like Chestertown are governed by the 1965 Voting Rights Act, court rulings and the U.S. Constitution.

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment mandates that voting districts in a state or local jurisdiction be equal in population to the extent possible. But current voter registration rolls in Chestertown may indicate that the wards vary in population — from the smallest to the largest — by more than 10 percent. Deviations that exceed 10 percent in local jurisdictions are generally considered  “constitutionally suspect” unless there is a compelling reason.

As of the 2019 election for Wards 2 and 4, the most current census data available puts the town’s population at 5,054, and the tally of registered voters shows increases in each ward since the town last redrew its districts in 1995, most notably in Ward 3.

Ward 1 –    760
Ward 2 –    611
Ward 3 – 1,236
Ward 4 –    676

Chestertown officials could not provide census data by ward for this story. But if the wards were equally apportioned within the 10 percent range, each ward should have roughly 1,250 residents. This means Ward 3 is hovering at or near 100 percent voter registration. 

Chestertown’s 1995 redistricting and apportionment ordinance recognized that over two decades had passed since the previous reapportionment and the need to increase population and voter registration in Ward 2, historically lower than the other wards.

In attempting to balance the voter rolls and population in each ward, the Ward Apportionment Study Committee, appointed in 1993, drew new boundaries that moved parts of Wards 1, 3 and 4 into Ward 2. See proposed map changes from March of 1995.

The final tally for the four wards when the new map was adopted in 1995:

Ward 1 population    917, with 668 registered voters
Ward 2 population 1,058, with 449 registered voters
Ward 3 population 1,167, with 573 registered voters
Ward 4 population 1,327 (includes 300 college students) with 473 registered voters.

The reapportionment committee put the town’s population at 4,169, and the adopted map anticipated growth in Wards 1, 3 and 4 — and allowed for the expansion of Ward 2 should annexation occur in the future. See the adopted map.

The adopted committee report used the most current voter registration rolls from the Kent County Board of Elections and the most current census data from the Maryland Department of Planning. The committee’s final report said, “care was taken to preserve the minority voter balance in each ward.” 

Though Maryland municipalities, like in all states, must establish their own redistricting plans that comply with the VRA and the Constitution, there is no requirement in Chestertown’s charter that mandates redistricting after a census. The Charter simply states:

“It shall be the duty of the Mayor and Council, by Ordinance, to divide the Town into four (4) wards and apportion the Council in such manner for election purposes so as to reflect population and voter equality.”

There are 157 municipalities in Maryland and Chestertown is one of 30 that has voting districts to elect council members, according to the Maryland Municipal League. Of the 30 municipalities still using voting districts,  six require a decennial census; Chestertown is not one of them.

 

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