In the event that a voter’s ballot is rejected, said voter should have the ability to cure their ballot quickly and simply. Maryland created a cure process for 2020, but it has not been codified. As more voters use absentee ballots and, understandably, the number of rejected absentee ballots increases, we recommend implementing a Text2Cure system that allows voters to cure their ballots from their phones.

Creating vote centers that any voter in the county can vote at and allowing voters to drop off their absentee ballots at polling places would further lessen the reliance on the postal service and increase voter convenience and confidence. Maryland has already established vote centers as a result of the pandemic; however, the state should make these return options permanent fixtures for all future elections.

Ballot tracking software such as Ballot Scout or Ballot TRACE can be a very cost effective tool to improve Maryland’s current ballot tracking and increase voter confidence by allowing voters to track their ballot much like an Amazon package. It also adds a layer of data for the elections office who can also track the ballots to make sure they have reached their destination. Furthermore, these tools can be used as another modality to contact voters if there is a signature mismatch or deficiency on their return envelope. An expanded notification system helps keep rejection rates low and increases voter confidence and participation.

With a drastic increase in mail ballots, Maryland has a great opportunity to reach for the gold standard of post-election security by implementing risk limiting audits.

As use of absentee ballots increases, it is important to make sure that the ballots received are being filled out by the individuals they were sent to. Signature verification procedures ensure the security of the election process while also streamlining ballot processing.

Processing mail ballots to get them ready for counting before election day will help Maryland get faster election results. Maryland allowed preprocessing as a result of the pandemic; however, the state should make it permanent for all future elections. Preliminary data also suggests that preprocessing helps avoid any blue or red shifts when there are differences in the partisan lean of mail vs. in person ballots, which could increase voter confidence in the results of elections.