The following article was submitted by 6th District Delegate Bob Long. He wrote he will continue to lead the fight for Voter ID in Maryland
Marylanders deserve honest and secure elections. The recent revelations about Ian Roberts—once superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools—have delivered a wake-up call.
Mr. Roberts, who was arrested by ICE for living in the United States without legal authorization, is still listed as an active Democrat voter in Maryland. How could this happen? The State Board of Elections Administrator, Jared DeMarinis is yet to comply with a federal request by the Department of Justice to hand over Maryland voter registration data.
He has cited a concern about this information being used by the federal government to enforce immigration laws. Is he openly admitting that there are illegal immigrants that are registered to vote in Maryland? It seems that what we have feared for years now is turning out to be true.
The Board has also noted that some registrations may occur “unintentionally” through agencies such as the Motor Vehicle Administration. This is evidence that administrative errors do occur, which is all the more reason for voter IDs to become the standard in Maryland.
Let that sink in: a man without legal immigration status, facing a standing order of removal, is on Maryland’s voter rolls. This is not a hypothetical. This is happening. This incident confirms what I have long warned: Maryland’s current system allows gaps too large to ignore.
We have a system where registration can be entered without real identity checks—verifying a signature, checking status, or demanding proof of citizenship or identity. That leaves us vulnerable—not just in theory, but in practice.
Some will argue this is an isolated case, but we cannot build faith in our elections on assumptions. Maryland should not have a loophole that lets someone who is ineligible remain on the rolls indefinitely.
I will not let this slide. We cannot afford to lose confidence in our elections. Establishing voter ID in Maryland is the best way forward. I have had voter ID legislation in year after year. Each time, it gets rejected by the Democrat supermajority.
I will continue to vigorously advocate for voter ID, along with absentee ballot signature verification practices in Maryland. I am confident that this year we can accomplish what Marylanders deserve- fair and honest elections.
