The death of gubernatorial candidate Kevin Kamenetz continues to ripple through Maryland’s Democratic primary as state election officials struggle to replace his name with Valerie Ervin’s without having to toss the 1.5 million ballots they’ve already printed.
The Maryland Board of Elections proposed a solution on Tuesday: Post signs alerting voters of Kamenetz’s death and informing them that ballots cast for him will count for Ervin, his former running mate.
But the concept is not sitting well with Ervin and some of her Democratic rivals.
“Voters are going to be confused,” Ervin said.
Ervin, a former Democratic Montgomery County Council member, was frustrated that state elections officials gave her little time to sign off on the proposal after she had had just one week to decide if she would wage a statewide campaign for governor. Kamenetz selected Ervin as his running mate in February, but died May 10 of cardiac arrest.