At a recent Maryland State Board of Elections meeting, Secure the Vote MD Director Kate Sullivan delivered public remarks raising several procedural questions related to voter list maintenance, provisional ballot administration, and communications sent to preregistered minors.
Concerns About Voter List Maintenance
Sullivan pointed to the January 16, 2026 publicly available Maryland voter file, noting that an individual identified as Ian Roberts reportedly remained listed as an active voter despite questions surrounding residency status and lack of voting activity over multiple election cycles.
She argued that even apart from citizenship questions, publicly available information indicating out-of-state employment could warrant review of residency eligibility. The case was presented as an example of broader concerns regarding how voter registrations are maintained under federal NVRA safeguards.
More broadly, Sullivan cited data suggesting that roughly 904,000 Maryland registrants - about one quarter of the state's approximately 4.3 million voters - are classified as active despite not voting in more than two election cycles. While acknowledging that many voters skip elections legitimately, she asked how the state distinguishes normal inactivity from registrations that should move into confirmation or inactive status.
Questions Regarding Provisional Ballot Procedures
Sullivan also raised questions about the use of provisional ballots, noting that their usage has increased substantially following the expansion of mail-in voting, reaching nearly 150,000 ballots in the 2024 general election.
Referencing prior legislative testimony from State Administrator Jared DeMarinis indicating that detailed provisional ballot "reason codes" had been finalized, she asked whether these codes will be provided directly to election judges or remain internal administrative tools within the state board.
Youth Preregistration Mailings
Finally, Sullivan described a personal example involving a preregistration mailing received by her under-18 son that she said appeared confusing and could be interpreted as implying voting eligibility.
She asked whether the Board plans to revise voter communications sent to preregistered 16- and 17-year-olds to clearly and prominently state that voting prior to age 18 is prohibited, in order to avoid potential misunderstanding.
Focus on Administrative Transparency
Across the three topics, Sullivan framed her questions primarily around administrative clarity, voter-roll stewardship, election-worker guidance, and the accuracy of official voter communications. She thanked the Board for allowing her to present the questions and expressed hope for responses addressing these procedural concerns.
Maryland State Board of Elections meetings are recorded; the full meeting is found here. Kate Sullivan's presentation begins at 1:28:00.