ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 22 (DC Times Online) — Maryland election officials removed Ian Andre Roberts from the state voter rolls on June 2, according to records cited by The Washington Times, after he had remained registered for more than a decade and appeared twice in the system.
Republican Delegate Matt Morgan, who chairs the Maryland House Freedom Caucus, said the case shows why “Marylanders have lost faith in our elections.” He and other Republican critics have used the episode to press state officials for answers about how Roberts stayed on the rolls for so long.
The reports identify Roberts as a Guyanese national and say Maryland records showed him as registered to vote despite not being a U.S. citizen. The Washington Times said registration forms show he checked the citizenship box and signed under penalty of perjury twice.
The Washington Times also reported that the state kept mailing absentee ballots to Roberts, although the reports do not show whether he cast a ballot in Maryland.
In January, Maryland elections administrator Jared DeMarinis warned against “improper cancellation,” a phrase used to describe removing eligible voters by mistake. Morgan later said the State Board of Elections was “dropping the ball,” and Rep. Bryan Steil said a congressional investigation into the matter would continue.
The Maryland Freedom Caucus has publicly highlighted the case and criticized state election officials for the time it took to remove Roberts from the rolls.
