Annapolis Election Verdict Announced After Ballots Counted Again

Last updated Thursday at 2:28 p.m.

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Annapolis Democratic primary election results were accurate, officials confirmed Thursday after counting all ballots again by hand.

Election officials voted Wednesday to conduct an emergency audit of the results after finding an error in preliminary reporting for one contest and a razor-thin margin in another.

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 by nearly a 2:1 margin. That was incorrect, but election officials caught the mistake before certifying Contee as the winner on Tuesday.

The audit served as a double-check to ensure the announced victors were truly the winners.

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

The audit confirmed that Janice Elaine Allsup-Johnson edged out Coren Eve Makell by four votes, as initially reported.

This additional count spanned about 2.5 hours at the Glen Burnie offices of the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections. It cost about $1,300, and the county elections board paid for it.

"We apologize to all the candidates and especially Ms. Contee and Mr. Cussimanio for the error," Eileen Leahy, chair of the Annapolis Board of Canvassers, said in a press release. "We found the error through our normal procedures, and remedied the mistake, then we expeditiously conducted the audit to give voters and candidates confidence in the outcome."

The previously announced results, posted here, are indeed accurate.

Related:

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In Ward 6, the city initially said Cussimanio had 112 votes from in-person voting, 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.

When adding in the mail-in and drop box ballots, Contee finished with 185 votes, and Cussimanio collected 124.

"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."

Contee will meet Republican George Gallagher in the Ward 6 general election this November.

Back in Ward 4, Allsup-Johnson does not have an opponent in the general election. She just needs one vote in November to claim 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 was less of a concern during the audit, 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 was 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:

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

The city conducted 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.

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