Count done for primary ballots
Annapolis incumbents victorious
All three Annapolis City Council incumbents in contested primary election races will move to the general election, with the Ward 8 alderman set to face a Republican challenger.
The final vote count for the contested Democratic races in Ward 3, Ward 4 and Ward 8 took place at the Anne Arundel County Elections Board headquarters in Glen Burnie on Tuesday. The canvass counted a total of 1,766 ballots that were returned on Election Day or after, plus a handful of provisional ballots.
The final count saw the incumbents in Ward 3 and Ward 8 continue to gain more votes than their challengers, while incumbent Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson in Ward 4 pulled ahead of Toni Strong Pratt by just five votes — 228 votes to 223 votes.
Finlayson watched as election teams worked their way through folders containing stacks of 25 ballot envelopes before the count was complete.
“I wanted to watch the process and I took two-thirds of the votes at the last canvassing and I wanted to hear the tally for myself,” she said.
Strong Pratt had the lead going into final canvassing and she felt like she did her best.
“It is what it is, I feel like I engaged voters and educated them well throughout the process but they made their decision,” Strong Pratt said.
She isn’t sure if she will seek a recount. According to city code, within 10 days of any primary election or within two days after the results of the canvass are declared official, any candidate who has been defeated may petition for a recanvass and recount of the ballots cast.
Strong Pratt would have to pay the cost of the recount and recanvass, unless the result of the election is changed or unless Strong Pratt has gained a number of votes over her principal opposing candidate equal to two percent or more of the total votes cast in the unit being recounted.
There were 19 ballots across the three wards rejected due to multiple reasons including postmarked wrong date, didn’t have signature or no ballot inside.
In Ward 3, Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell-Charles came out ahead of Keanuú Smith-Brown, 366 votes to
167 votes. Pindell-Charles had 69% of the votes.
Pindell-Charles had the lead through the first canvass but said she wanted to see the count to the conclusion.
“I had a winning team and it was a total team effort,” she said.
Pindell-Charles said she will continue to focus on constituent services and looking at public safety.
In Ward 8, Alderman Ross Arnett had 450 votes to Kati George’s 332 votes. Arnett had 58% of the vote and will face Republican Rock Toews, in the general election.
Arnett said he was happy with his position going into the final canvassing but he didn’t take anything for granted. He said there is no rest for him though. He had plans to meet with his campaign Tuesday afternoon to discuss his next opponent and says he has to do a lot of door-knocking and send out mailers.
Ward 8 had the most voter turnout with 782 voters.
“It is the nature of the people who are attracted to Eastport and it has a funky personality, and it attracts people who are into civic matters,” he added.
George fell short of votes against Arnett but isn’t stopping her work in Eastport.
“I am thrilled for my team as they worked so hard and we engaged in the citizens in Ward 8 and my work in the ward will continue, even if there is no title in front of my name,” George said.
George said she plans to organize an Eastport history project, community gardens and a task force for planning and zoning city codes.
In Ward 3 and Ward 4, there are no Republicans on the ballot in the general election, so Pindell-Charles and Finlayson will be seated on the City Council in December barring an upset from a third-party or write-in candidate.
After the Annapolis elections board approved a vote-by-mail option this spring in response to public health concerns around the coronavirus pandemic, voters took advantage of the new system.
In this year’s primary, even without a mayoral race at the top of the ticket, turnout in the three wards with aldermanic challenges was higher than in 2017. The combined voter turnout of about 1,700 has surpassed the roughly 1,300 ballots cast in the three wards in the 2017 primary election.
In Ward 3, where 1,872 Democratic voters were eligible to cast a ballot, 533 voted; in Ward 4, where 1,974 Democratic voters were eligible to cast a ballot, 451 voted; and in Ward 8, where 1,992 Democratic voters were eligible to cast a ballot, 782 voted. The average voter turnout across all three wards in the 2021 primary was 30%.
Finlayson thinks the mail-in voting is a success and it shows by how much more votes were sent in that way than in polls. However Arnett said the system is a “mixed blessing” and has some kinks that need to be worked out.