Thousands of voters in Maryland will be receiving new primary election ballots in the mail after an error was confirmed by state officials, the state Board of Elections announced.
The Maryland Board of Elections said on May 15 that some voters got the wrong party’s ballot for the primary, which will be held on June 23. It blamed the issue on a vendor error and is working with the company to replace those ballots, according to a board statement.
“While it is possible only a small number of voters received the wrong ballot, and most voters received the correct ballot, all voters must be issued a replacement ballot,” the statement said.
It said that the action affects voters who received a ballot before May 14, 2026.
Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said in a statement that state officials are “committed to running an election that is verified, secure and accurate,” and he said that he wants to remove “any doubt in its integrity or accuracy,” which is why he “arranged the sending of replacement ballots.”
The elections board stated that it “understands that this situation might cause the spread of misinformation,” and it said residents should “rely on election officials” as sources for election information.
In response to the Board of Elections statement, a Republican caucus of state lawmakers said that the erroneous ballots could create problems in the primary and said that an audit is needed.
“We must release the voter rolls to the federal government to allow for a thorough audit into the reported issuance of 400,000 incorrect ballots,” the Maryland Freedom Caucus said in a post on X on May 16.
It also stated that voters should be able to “know the exact process by which ballots will be scrutinized.”
“We need to be absolutely sure that there is one vote, one person,” it stated.
The incident also drew scrutiny from President Donald Trump, who stated on Truth Social that Maryland “just had 500,000 Fake Mail-In Ballots revealed” and that the United States “cannot … put up with this any longer.”
He called for federal lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act by attaching it to either housing or foreign intelligence surveillance legislation, both of which are being considered in Congress.
“Voter I.D., and Proof of Citizenship, must be approved, NOW. Crooked Mail-In Voting must be stopped,” Trump wrote on social media on May 16.
The SAVE America Act would require all applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at their local election office. Among the acceptable documents under the proposed legislation are a valid U.S. passport and a government-issued photo ID card presented alongside a certified birth certificate.
But DeMarinis, the state election administrator, said in an X post on May 17 that no fake mail-in ballots were sent out to voters, responding to Trump’s social media post.
“It is vital for voters and the public to get accurate information and the facts regarding mail-in voting and the electoral process,” he wrote on X, adding that assertions about fake ballots are designed to “mislead, sow distrust and create misinformation.”
The incident comes about six months in advance of the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine what party controls the House and Senate and will be held on Nov. 3.
