The Maryland Open Meetings Act mandates that state and local public bodies hold their meetings openly and provide adequate notice to the public. The goal of this statute is to foster transparency, build public trust in government, ensure accountability, and enhance public participation in democratic processes.
As outlined by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General:
“The goal of the Act is to increase the public’s faith in government, ensure the accountability of government to the public, and enhance the public’s ability to participate effectively in our democracy.”
https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/OpenGov/OpenMeetings/default.aspx
Despite these principles, a recent investigation by Secure the Vote Maryland, a non-profit organization committed to ensuring election accuracy and transparency, revealed numerous violations of the Open Meetings Act across Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions.
Wicomico and Caroline Counties: Troubling Examples
Wicomico and Caroline Counties stand out as a key violator of the Maryland Open Meetings Act. According to Secure the Vote MD researchers, Wicomico and Caroline Counties:
- Fail to post information about Wicomico election board meetings, agendas, or minutes. Although posting of the meeting agenda or minutes are only required by the State Board of Elections, local boards are legally required to post their board meetings.
- Wicomico makes it challenging to locate information even through website searches. Researchers noted, “You can search ‘Election Board Meetings,’ but you only get links to certain meetings.”
- Caroline County: Does not post meeting information on its website; instead, sporadic updates are posted on Facebook.
These two examples are blatant violations. The failure to consistently alert the public of the election board meetings constitutes violations of the Act, undermining public access to critical government proceedings.
The Call for Accountability
These violations highlight an urgent need for reform and accountability to ensure compliance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act. When critical government actions and discussions about elections remain hidden from public view, the democratic process itself is jeopardized.
The Attorney General’s office stated that only the State Board of Elections must post meetings, agendas and meeting minutes, it is the opinion of Secure the Vote MD that all local boards must do the same. The local boards of elections are not independent agencies but an arm of the State Board of Elections. Secure the Vote MD will further explore this legal technicality with the state legislators and Attorney General’s office.
Secure the Vote Maryland continues to advocate for better transparency and urges state and local leaders to enforce compliance. Residents of Maryland are encouraged to demand greater accountability from their county Boards of Elections to uphold the principles of democracy and public trust.