Baltimore, MD-The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) violated federal law the National Voter Registration Act, and unlawfully suppressed plaintiffs' efforts to research anomalies within the state's voter records.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) sued Maryland's SBE in January of 2024 on behalf of two citizen activists, Kate Sullivan and David Morsberger. Ms. Sullivan and Mr. Morsberger had been researching whether the state was removing non-residents, the deceased, and duplicate registrations from the voter rolls. Upon presenting their concerns to the SBE, the SBE issued a new regulation to stop them from conducting investigations. The SBE even assessed a criminal penalty for federally protected activities such as speaking with fellow voters, and blocked access to key information such as access and use of state records on voter history. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) requires that states make voter history information available to the public.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland delivered a resounding and complete victory in RITE's favor. The court held that the SBE had violated federal law and enjoined its unlawful effort to suppress the plaintiffs’ work. In doing so, the court fully endorsed RITE's position that the NVRA requires that states make voter history information available to the public. This is the most direct ruling from any court in the country on that issue to date.

RITE's win on behalf of plaintiffs will help ensure the public has access to important records that allow them to evaluate whether states are removing dead voters, non-residents, non-citizens, and other ineligible voters. This is a major step forward in Maryland Republicans' efforts to ensure more transparent, accountable, and secure elections in our state.

MDGOP National Committeewoman Nicolee Ambrose said, "The State Board of Elections has been failing to properly maintain voter rolls and safeguard the integrity of mail-in ballots in Maryland. When the SBE then sought to criminally punish activists who asked basic questions, it further brought into question the Board's commitment to transparent and fair elections. RITE's unequivocal federal court victory should inspire the SBE to adhere to the National Voter Registration Act in every aspect."

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AUTHORITY MARYLAND REPUBLICAN PARTY; R. CHRISTOPHER ROSENTHAL, TREASURER