Montgomery Co. board of elections accused of voter suppression, ‘secret phone calls’

ROCKVILLE, Md.– Maryland state lawmakers say they want the Montgomery County Board of Elections to reverse its decision to move two early voting centers.

If not, they’ll act to get emergency legislation passed that would add new voting sites — effectively blunting the change by the majority-Republican elections board.

State Sen. Richard Madeleno, D-Montgomery County, says the elections board could avoid further controversy by abandoning its plans to close the Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center in Burtonsville and the Jane Lawton Community Recreation Center in Chevy Chase.

The fight began over a decision by the county elections board to close the two early voting sites in Chevy Chase and Burtonsville and instead open sites in Brookeville and Potomac.

James Shalleck, the Republican chairman of the elections board, told a Montgomery County Council committee on government operations that the decision was made to add “geographic diversity” to the county’s nine early voting sites.

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