Commission hears lessons from Howard and Montgomery counties on running public election funds

Representatives from Howard and Montgomery counties briefed the Baltimore County Fair Election Planning Commission on Jan. 13 about their experience operating county public election funds, highlighting outreach strategies, administrative burdens and common early problems.

Doug Miller, vice chair of the Howard County Citizens Election Fund Commission, said Howard's program began after voters approved a charter amendment in 2016 and enabling legislation followed. He told Baltimore County commissioners that Howard's first use of the program in 2022 revealed "growing pains," particularly around interpreting timing rules for disbursements when incumbents faced no primary opposition.

Miller said a key problem was that an incumbent…