The Minnesota-based company responsible for a significant ballot-printing error in Maryland has announced that it has implemented new measures to prevent similar issues in the future. During a meeting with the bipartisan Maryland State Board of Elections, representatives from Taylor Print & Visual Impressions addressed concerns following the mishap that led to the reissue of nearly 447,000 ballots.
The error, attributed to a coding mistake, resulted in some voters receiving ballots for the incorrect political party during the primary elections. Since the company was unable to identify the affected voters, state officials opted to send replacement ballots to ensure proper voting. Taylor did not charge Maryland for the additional mailings.
Traci Stevenson, a representative for Taylor, stated that the company takes full responsibility for the incident, marking it as an unprecedented mistake in their six years of working with elections. Taylor's parent company has been in operation for half a century.
“It was an honest mistake, but it was our mistake and we do own that,” Stevenson remarked, emphasizing the company's commitment to rectify the situation.
In response to the error, Taylor has developed new checklists and automated tools to enhance its ballot-printing process. The company has retrained its staff and instituted a final review by senior leadership before ballots are dispatched. Stevenson assured the board that the issue has been resolved and that the company is prepared for the upcoming general election.
Representatives from Taylor indicated that there was nothing Maryland could have done to avoid the mishap. The incident drew national attention, including from former President Donald Trump, who cited the issue as part of his broader criticism of mail voting.
Maryland began working with Taylor after a previous vendor, SeaChange, withdrew from its contract just weeks before the 2020 general election, which was marked by an increase in mail voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor was awarded a larger contract in 2021, which was renewed last year, totaling $8.9 million.
During the board meeting, Vice Chair Jim Shalleck raised questions about the company's operations in Republican states, to which Stevenson responded that Taylor operates as a nonpartisan entity. The board has faced pressure to investigate the ballot error further, particularly in light of scrutiny from the former president.
Some members of the public have expressed disappointment over the lack of an independent investigation into the incident, calling for greater transparency regarding the ballot mishap.
Reported by HarborBeat based on The Baltimore Banner (source).
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