Voting Rights

Katherine Vaillancourt , Age 17, Votes in Howard County , MD Primary Election.

As a rising 18 year old, Katie was able to vote in the presidential primary AND for school board in the non-partisan contest, thanks to Friday’s ruling by the Appeals Court.

I may have a new suit to bring as the Election Judge at the Clarksville Middle School Gymnasium location refused to allow me to photograph my daughter making her court ordered vote. Of course I understand the election judges are tasked with enforcing the rules set forth by the Board of Elections – so other than asking them to confirm with the Board of Elections office I did not make a fuss.

I was told that no electronic devices are allowed at polling places – which is not really accurate , unless they were selectively enforcing the rule by allowing cell phones, ipods, and who knows what other devices — oh, like my camera that I had already used before they told me not to.

I asked how the news people get the pictures of candidates casting their own votes — Bob and Linda (the chief judges) explained that the official Press may be allowed to take a photograph …. at the discretion of the chief judges. I asked them if they would allow a Baltimore Sun reporter to photograph the voter … to which they responded they would have to talk about it.

I requested they go ahead and make that decision before I called for an official press photographer … so we would know whether it was going to be a problem. Judge Linda did not have a problem with it – but Judge Bob said he would not allow it.

Curious, I asked if they had that level of discretion, why would they refuse?

It was all very vague, and a little silly — but I knew I already had a photograph.

Though HoCoMD is not “official press” – I am hereby publishing a photograph of one of the rising 18 year olds who successfully sued the State of Maryland to secure the right to vote in the non-partisan primary election held today, February 12, 2008.

Congratulations on your community service and activism Katherine Vaillancourt.

Cindy Vaillancourt

Primary Day Update

Thanks in no small part to Allen Dyer (candidate for HoCo Board of Education) for securing the voting rights of our newest voters!

When all of us who will be entitled to vote in the November 2008 General Election go to the polls today to cast our votes for the candidates we hope to see on the final ballot — those new voters who will be 18 in November WILL be “allowed” to vote (and their votes WILL be counted) for the nonpartisan races.

This order was issued a week or so ago – then appealed by the State Attorney General’s Office. The appeal was heard Friday morning. I believe the new order was issued Friday evening.

Mr. Dyer, on behalf of my 17 year old daughter and I, was in constant conact with the AG’s Office, the state and local Board of Elections folks, our local Delegation, and another lawyer (Mr. Clifford Snyder, Jr.) who was also pursuing voting rights for rising 18 year olds on behalf of his son Carl Snyder – and had secured the original order to allow registered 17 year olds to vote in the non-partisan primaries. Thursday afternoon Mr. Dyer filed our request with the Appeals Court to support Mr. Snyder’s case and dismiss the AG’s case.

I never could understand why the AG’s Office was pursuing this line of reasoning. It was obviously not simply a legal question as the courts had already ruled, and the AG’s argument was rather weak. We informally lobbied the Governor’s Office, and as many Elected and Election Officials we could think of.

We seldom really know what effect our calls, letters, emails, etc have. But at the hearing on Friday the Judges asked the AG’s lawyer if the AG “cared” how the case was decided… and she answered “no”.

Cant be sure… but we like to think our efforts led to someone in charge telling the AG’s office to “give it up”. It was an odd fight to take on anyway. Is the State of Maryland in the business of encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote?

That’s the question we asked the Governor’s Office. As of today – that answer is YES.

Thank you Allen Dyer,

Cindy Vaillancourt

*** in my original post I mis-identified the name of the lawyer who filed the original  complaint and successfully argued the case as Carl Snyder.  I have made the correction.  Kudos and apologies to Mr. Clifford Snyder, Jr. and his son Carl Snyder.