TrueVoteMD's effort to ensure the integrity of the vote in Maryland was blocked by conference committee members of the House of Delegates. A bill requiring a voter-verified paper trail, along with random audits on election day, passed the Maryland Senate by a unanimous vote of 45 to 0. In the House, Delegate Sheila Hixson, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, turned a bill with the same requirements into a task force to study well beyond the imperative 2004 election. Knowledgable legislators indicated that the task force was designed to "kill the bills" and "failed to include the any of the dozens of sponsors of the paper trail bill."

Thousands of citizens from across Maryland's 23 counties expressed their strong support for a voter-verified paper record for independent audits and meaningful recounts to their legislators. The pressure was so intense that House Delegates even attempted to mislead constituents. For example, Sheila Hixson refused to take a public position on the bill even though her task force amendments made her position clear. Another example was first-term Delegate Nancy King of Montgomery County who told several TrueVoteMD activists from her district that she supported a voter-verified paper trail when in fact she opposed it and instead wanted the bill sent to a task force where it would be killed.

This is not the final chapter in our effort. We are planning a variety of strategies to ensure that the vote is counted accurately in the November 2004 election. Litigation, election monitoring, voter education, and supporting candidates running against recalcitrant legislators are all being considered as potential next steps.