Gansler & Ivey Make It Official
Doug Gansler & Jolene Ivey
Doug Gansler and Jolene Ivey officially filed certificates of candidacy with the State Board of Elections this week in their run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland.
“We chose to make our campaign official today because on this date 50 years ago the United States abolished the poll tax,” said Mr. Gansler. “Today’s anniversary reminds us of our nation’s struggle to secure voting rights for all and fulfill the promise of democracy. I can think of no more fitting a day to officially file our candidacy,” he added.
Mr. Gansler and his running mate used their filing as an opportunity to announce a proposal to expand early voting to open all polls on the Saturday before Election Day.
“The success of our democracy hinges on voting, but the United States ranks dead last in voter turnout among G8 nations. For too many Marylanders, work, child care and transportation are obstacles to exercising this basic right. That’s why Jolene and I are proposing to expand early voting to open all polls on the Saturday before Election Day,” said Mr. Gansler.
The campaign Census data over the last decade demonstrates that the inconvenience of voting is the primary reason Americans are not participating in our elections, with close to one third of voters saying they could not get time off work to vote.
The success of our democracy hinges on voting, but the United States ranks dead last in voter turnout among G8 nations. For too many Marylanders, work, child care and transportation are obstacles to exercising this basic right.
“I have five sons, so I know how hard it is for Marylanders juggling work and family to find time to vote,” said Ivey. “The poll tax was used for generations to keep Americans, especially African-Americans, from voting. Though the poll tax is a thing of the past, there is still much more we can do. Voting needs to be easier, not harder.”
As Attorney General, Mr. Gansler established the Voting Irregularities Task Force to review irregularities in the 2006 election and develop recommended improvements to ensure voter protection. He has also testified on Capitol Hill in support of federal legislation that would impose stricter penalties on individuals who produce or distribute materials designed to intentionally suppress voter turnout during federal elections; successfully civilly prosecuted under state law over robo-calls designed to suppress the vote; and convened the bipartisan Advisory Committee on Campaign Finance that studied our State’s campaign finance system and made 25 specific recommendations for improving transparency and accountability.
