March 28, 2024

Crosby Urges Early Vote Center, More Ballot Drop-Offs in Southern St. Mary’s

Crosby

Del. Brian Crosby is urging the St. Mary’s County Board of Elections to provide an early voting center and more ballot drop-off locations in the southern part of the county.

In a September 13 letter to the county’s Election Director Wendy Adkins and election board members, Del. Crosby wrote that “currently, voters in District 29B do no have sufficient access to cast their ballots.” He also called the lack of easy access “blatant voter suppression.”

He recommended an additional southern location be added for early voting, suggesting the Lexington Park Library or the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, and that at least three additional ballot drop-off boxes be provided at Great Mills High School, the Lexington Park Library, and Greenview Knolls Elementary School.

There is currently one location planned for early voting at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department in Hollywood.

“With anxiety regarding this year’s election already heightened, we need to make it as convenient as possible for all voters to cast their ballot,” the District 29B delegate wrote.

Del. Crosby noted that 35% of the registered voters in St. Mary’s County reside in District 29B, and the district is home to the highest concentrations of both low-income and voters of color in the county.

“The current early voting location at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department is over nine miles away from the most densely populated portion of 29B,” he wrote. “This area is also the most densely populated and lowest income region of St. Mary’s County as a whole.”

The geographic center of District 29B, just north of Mattapany Road, is more than 14 miles from the Hollywood firehouse.

“For many voters, this distance may not seem unsurmountable, but for the poor, elderly, and those otherwise dependent on public transportation, polling place inaccessibility could be a major reason why many voters are unlikely to cast a ballot this year,” Del. Crosby wrote. “The lack of easy access to voting for such populations — especially with a new and potentially confusing electoral process — is blatant voter suppression.”

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