Committee recommends town‑run elections with contractor support; council expected to appoint new election board members

The town's election committee reported a recommendation that Chesapeake Beach run its own municipal election (town‑run) in 2028 with contractor support for poll books, printers and on‑site technical assistance rather than joining the county ballot.

Randy, the committee lead, told the council the group evaluated multiple vendors and technology options after polling the problems that led to 2024 equipment and poll‑book shortfalls. Committee members said contractor‑provided poll books with integrated printing and networked voter‑lookup would substantially speed check‑in and reduce manual voter‑authority card processing, cutting per‑voter check‑in time roughly in half compared with the town's 2024 experience.

Why it matters: the committee recommended a single election day (rather than multiple early‑voting days) and estimated about $16,000 in contractor costs for equipment and an on‑site technician to support election day. Committee members warned that moving onto the county ballot would require a different legal framework and could force partisan office rules or petition thresholds for nonpartisan candidates.

The committee also recommended appointing new election‑board members to ensure local capacity: Jennifer Bennett was named as a recent appointment, and Aaca (Aacia) Flores introduced herself to the council and described her recent service on the committee. Council members who served on the committee said the town‑run with contractor support approach preserves nonpartisan municipal rules and keeps control of local processes.

Next steps: the council indicated support for the recommendation and will consider formal appointment of the recommended board member(s) at upcoming meetings and continue vendor procurement work ahead of 2028.