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RNC Chair Sounds the Alarm After Mail-In Voting Blunder Ahead of Primary Election

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Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel pointed to absentee ballots for South Carolina voters ending up in Maryland as an example of mail-in ballot problems.

“The media argues @realDonaldTrump has ‘no evidence’ of mail-in ballot problems. Oh really?” McDaniel tweeted.

“Look what just happened in SC, where Dems sued to force a rushed transition to mail with no safeguards. Their ballots magically appeared in Baltimore. How secure!”

McDaniel was responding to a report that some of South Carolina’s primary ballots ended up in Maryland this week.

Baltimore Sun reporter Emily Opilo tweeted about the strange occurrence on Wednesday.

“So here’s a crazy tidbit: Maryland election officials found a bunch of ballots from South Carolina mixed in with their shipments to Baltimore. They use the same vendor,” Opilo tweeted.

“SC’s statewide primary is June 9. As of this week, an unknown number of Charleston’s ballots were here in Baltimore. An SC official says they were losing confidence in the mail vendor even before this happened. An entire county didn’t get presidential ballots in Feb.”

According to state and county election officials, the roughly 20 ballots found in Maryland have since made their way to Charleston voters ahead of the June 9 primary for state and local seats.

However, South Carolina election officials are reportedly considering cutting ties with Minnesota printer SeaChange Print Innovations over the absentee ballot mix-up as well as other issues they’ve had with the company, The Post and Courier reported.

SeaChange prints and mails absentee ballots for 13 South Carolina counties.

Do you think mail-in voting creates more problems than it solves?
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Earlier this year, some Greenville County voters also received the wrong ballots for the Democratic presidential primary and a sheriff special election.

“We’re not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling that they can handle this,” South Carolina Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said. “We are actively seeking sustainable solutions.”

Mail-in voting has been largely discussed as people look for safe ways to hold the 2020 presidential election.

Whereas absentee ballots can be requested by voters — in some states without an excuse — a ballot is automatically mailed to every eligible voter in a vote-by-mail system, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

That would make it easier for people who otherwise might not vote to take part in elections.

Currently, there are five states that conduct all elections by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

President Donald Trump has been vocal about his opposition to statewide mail-in voting, saying that “Democrats are clamoring for it.”

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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