The Baltimore Beat published this OpEd on March 13, 2025.
Maryland voters have long been ready to move forward in building a democracy that ensures that every Marylander has the right to cast a ballot – without a state voting rights act, that right is in jeopardy. The Maryland Voting Rights Act is critical legislation that would increase voter access, expansion and protection among Maryland’s most vulnerable communities under the Trump Administration.
In November, Maryland elected its first Black U.S. senator and has made significant progress towards building an inclusive democracy in recent years. The expansion of the hours and number of early voting locations available in each jurisdiction is an example of this progression.
Yet, Maryland is not immune to the attacks on voting rights we’ve seen across the country. This past election saw bomb threats at several local boards of elections’ offices, significant disparities in voter participation by race, and in several communities across the state, no person of color has ever been elected to public office, despite growing Black and Latino populations.
This included the town of Federalsburg in Caroline County, until a recent federal lawsuit.
