Annapolis To Count Ballots Again After Finding Error

Last updated Wednesday at 3:17 p.m.

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Election officials voted Wednesday to conduct an emergency audit of all ballots cast in the Annapolis Democratic primary election after finding an error in preliminary vote totals.

Officials will count all of the city's ballots by hand Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections offices in Glen Burnie at 6740 Baymeadow Drive. The meeting is open to the public.

When in-person vote totals were announced on the Sept. 16 Election Day, the city said Craig Cussimanio led Diesha Contee in the race for Ward 6 alderperson. That was incorrect, but election officials caught the mistake before certifying Contee as the winner on Tuesday.

"The integrity of City elections is our highest priority," Eileen Leahy, chair of the Annapolis Board of Canvassers, said in a press release. "While the certification process worked as intended and the correct outcome was reported, we believe a full hand count audit will provide additional assurance to voters and demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accuracy. We appreciate our partnership with the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections and their willingness to demonstrate these values to both candidates and voters."

Related: Annapolis Primary Election Results Released For Mayor, City Council

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman supports the audit.

"It will be conducted with the highest level of care, overseen by bipartisan teams to ensure accuracy and transparency," he said in a press release. "The integrity of our elections is of the utmost importance, and I want residents to know that their votes were cast and counted accurately."

The city initially said Cussimanio had 112 votes, and Contee had 69. Those tallies were correct, but they were assigned to the wrong candidates. Contee actually held the lead after in-person votes were counted.

The mistake stemmed from a transcription error on election night. During their final tally, election officials checked the tapes from the voting machine and servers, which are consistent with the official results that certified Contee as the victor.

"Congratulations to Diesha Contee on her election as the Democratic candidate for Alderwoman of Ward 6," Cussimanio said in a Tuesday statement. "While the initial incorrect reporting of in-person voting totals as reported by the City of Annapolis was certainly unfortunate, it should not take away from her victory. I wish her all the best in the general election."

The Ward 6 winner will meet Republican George Gallagher as a challenger this November.

Voters will also have their eyes on the Ward 4 contest during the audit. This was the city's closest race by far.

Janice Elaine Allsup-Johnson edged out Coren Eve Makell by four votes. Allsup-Johnson does not have an opponent in the general election, so she automatically wins this seat.

Makell conceded Tuesday, congratulating Allsup-Johnson and the other candidates who won their primaries.

"I've learned so much — about myself, about the operations of our local government, and about the power of community," Makell said on Facebook. "I am deeply committed to serving, learning, and uplifting our community. As an Annapolis native, neighbor, advocate, and friend, I look forward to supporting you all in the general election and throughout your service on the Annapolis City Council."

The mayoral primary is less of a concern, as hardware store owner Jared Littmann defeated current Ward 3 alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles by 1,323 votes.

"Congratulations to Mr. Littmann. The voters have spoken. And I respect the will of the voters as well as the process," Pindell Charles stated. "Thank you to everyone who has voted! Your vote of confidence means the world to me. It was my honor to serve as Ward 3 Alderwoman of Greater Parole for more than a decade in my hometown of Annapolis."

Littmann won 67% of the vote, compared to Pindell Charles' 33%. He will face Republican Bobby O'Shea, a business consultant, in the general election to replace term-limited Mayor Gavin Buckley (D).

"I congratulate Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles on her campaign and appreciate the phone call that she made to me," Littmann said on Facebook. "She has served Annapolis with a public service spirit for many years and I am grateful for her service and friendship."

Thursday's tally is considered an audit, not a recount. A candidate must request a recount, but election officials can always conduct an audit if necessary. Recounts and audits both involve officials checking if the initial ballot tally was correct.

The hand count audit will:

• Review all in-person precinct ballots from Election Day.
• Review all mail-in and drop box ballots received and canvassed.
• Verify the certified results match the original voter-marked paper ballots.

The city will conduct the audit alongside the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections. The all-volunteer Annapolis Board of Supervisors of Elections contracts the county to administer city elections.

The county board of elections introduced new safeguards for the Nov. 4 general election. These include on-site verification of results at the county facility on election night, immediate tape audits by election judges and more robust checks before releasing unofficial results.