Maryland’s elections administrator reaffirmed that legally cast mail-in ballots must be counted, following President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing stricter voting requirements.Trump’s order requires votes to be cast and received by Election Day, regardless of when mail-in ballots are postmarked.But Maryland State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said election officials must count ballots that are postmarked by the date of the election.“Mail-in ballots cast and postmarked before or on Election Day are legal ballots that must be counted,” DeMarinis said. “Those voters’ voices must be heard.” DeMarinis added that the Maryland State Board of Elections is analyzing how the executive order impacts military and overseas voters as well as domestic voters.The executive order would also require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship when they register to vote.When registering to vote, individuals must already swear, under penalty of perjury, that they are U.S. citizens and that they are eligible to vote. As part of the registration, they must provide a driver’s license number, state ID number or Social Security number.Despite claims by conservative leaders, cases of non-citizens attempting to vote are extremely rare.The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and justice, in 2017 examined votes in the 2016 election from 42 jurisdictions.Of the 23.5 million votes cast in those jurisdictions, election officials only found about 30 potential cases of noncitizens voting which they referred for further investigation or prosecution. Those potential cases account for 0.0001% of votes cast as part of that sample.Voting rights advocates worry that the president’s order will make it harder for eligible voters to cast their ballot. DeMarinis, the Maryland elections administrator, noted in his statement that Trump’s order failed to acknowledge false information and foreign influences on U.S. elections.“I am disheartened that the Executive Order did not mention mis/dis or malinformation especially from foreign influences,” DeMarinis said. “The rapid pace of technology has allowed some dis/misinformation to deter participation as well as harm faith in our election results. Ensuring we combat its spread and bringing dis/misinformation to light for public scrutiny is vital for our democracy. This includes prioritizing social media community notes from trusted sources of information like the Maryland State Board of Elections.”DeMarinis said the Maryland State Board of Elections is currently reviewing the president’s executive order in compliance with Maryland’s election laws and regulations.“We strive to work with our federal partners in making our elections safe, secure, transparent and trusted,” DeMarinis said. “The 2024 Elections and prior ones were just that.” ...read more read less