The leader of the Maryland Senate said Republican appointees to the State Board of Elections will have to answer questions about involvement in the failed Jan. 6 insurrection following the recent arrest of a board member.
President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Tuesday the process by which the Senate reviews and confirms appointments will not change in the near term. The questions about personal involvement in Jan. 6 and a nominee’s personal beliefs about elections will be litmus tests, he said.
“Certainly, for the board of elections,” Ferguson said. “I think that that has to be a very realistic thing. We’re going to have to be more mindful to make sure that people believe in the validity of elections.”
Participation in the failed insurrection on the day Congress was to meet to certify the 2020 election would be “a disqualifier,” he said.
Federal prosecutors say this image shows Carlos Ayala on the Upper West Terrace at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Ayala was subsequently appointed to and resigned from the Maryland State Board of Elections. Image from court documents.