Maryland Voter Roll Access Challenge 

Lawsuit filed on behalf of two individual Maryland voters seeking voter information in order to “investigate” and “identify inaccuracies” — such as “deceased or duplicate voters” — in the state’s voter registration record. The complaint alleges that under a new regulation, the Maryland State Board of Elections (MSBOE) is unlawfully withholding voter registration records, thereby preventing the plaintiffs from engaging in door-to-door canvassing aimed at verifying “the accuracy of information in those records.” The regulation at issue specifically prohibits the use of voter registration records for use in “investigations” into individual voters for “illegal or suspected illegal infraction or violation involving the voter’s behavior in a specific election.” The plaintiffs claim that the MSBOE’s regulation prohibiting the use of voter data for investigations contravenes the federal National Voter Registration Act as well as Maryland state law. The plaintiffs also contend that the regulation violates their First and 14th Amendment rights. The lawsuit requests that the court block the regulation and permit the plaintiffs to continue “investigating potential inaccuracies, errors or anomalies in Maryland’s voter registration rolls.” 

STATUS: A motion to dismiss is pending before the court.

Last updated: April 12, 2024 5:11 pm EST