Maryland State Wire

Today, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland signed into law a bill aimed at strengthening the post-election audit process following each statewide election. The legislation is designed to enhance public trust in electoral outcomes by ensuring that election results are accurate and reflective of voter intent.

Joanne Antoine, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland, emphasized the importance of fair and accurate election outcomes: “Every voter deserves to know election outcomes are fair and accurate. This legislation will ensure election outcomes truly reflect the will of voters.” She also expressed gratitude to Senator M. Washington and Delegate Anne Kaiser for their roles in advancing the bill.

Pamela Smith, President & CEO of Verified Voting, highlighted the significance of risk-limiting audits introduced by the new law: “Voters want to know elections are being checked for accuracy. With the passage of SB 313/HB 426, risk-limiting audits provide Maryland’s election officials with the most effective tool to check outcomes, and ensure the right person is seated in office — giving justified confidence in our electoral process.”

The current post-election manual audit process in Maryland takes place months after elections, while automated software audits lack a mechanism for correcting erroneous initial results. The newly signed legislation mandates risk-limiting audits after each statewide election. These audits are recognized as rigorous and cost-effective methods for verifying that unofficial election results align with actual ballots cast.

Both Common Cause Maryland and Verified Voting supported SB 313/HB 426 through testimony during its legislative journey.