Group Files Suit Against Baltimore, State Elections Boards

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City's primary election results are still under a cloud of doubt -- even after the results were formally re-certified.

A local group is bringing a lawsuit against the Baltimore and Maryland elections boards, as well as Armstead Jones, the city elections director and Linda Lamone, the state administrator of elections.

Ava-joye Burnett has more on the federal lawsuit.

A Baltimore group, Voters Organizers for the Integrity of City Elections, has filed a lawsuit in federal court saying there were systemic problems at the polls on election day that violated some people's right to vote.

"We want a do-over, and if we can't get a do-over, we want some monitoring, we want some assurances that will restore public confidence in the election," said J. Wyndal Gordon, attorney.

Watchdog groups said polls opened late, judges were trained at the last-minute, voters were turned away or misdirected and that data files disappeared for a day. The Maryland Board of Elections also had questions about the provisional ballot count.

"Help was brought in from the outside to assist Baltimore City in reviewing the votes, and then two weeks ago, the Baltimore Board of Elections formally re-certified the results. They say the outcome in every race remains the same.

While he didn't respond to WJZ's request for comment, Armstead Jones, the director of the city's board of elections, told our media partner, The Baltimore Sun, that the plaintiffs were "throwing in the kitchen sink and everything else they could."

Activists acknowledge a lawsuit like this is uncharted territory in Baltimore, but it's a move they say is necessary.

"Whether or not we can win this, we are confident that we should fight this."

Officials say even if they don't get a new election, they hope Baltimore City will have federal oversight in future elections.

A hearing date has not been set.