Teaming up to improve Maryland elections: new survey looks to streamline voting processes and increase voter turnout

By TOWSON UNIVERSITY on January 30, 2024

The Empowering Secure Elections Research Lab (ESE) at Towson University (TU) is joining forces with the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections (BoE) office to help improve the voter experience and increase voter participation. In collaboration with the Anne Arundel County BoE, ESE will field a survey for voters registered in Anne Arundel County. In early February, registered voters of Anne Arundel County can expect to receive an email to complete a voter satisfaction survey.  

While responses are optional and will be anonymous, it is essential to get voter input to improve how the county election office services its voters, from voter registration to administering mail and in-person voting. The insights gained from the survey will help the Anne Arundel County BoE better support its voters. Data will also help researchers identify areas where the election process can be improved. 

“Data provided by Anne Arundel County voters is essential to maintaining efficient election protocols and adjusting for the future,” said David Garreis, elections director in for Anne Arundel County BoE. 

This collaboration between TU and the Anne Arundel County BoE aims to better understand the voter experience and voters’ attitudes toward the election process. The survey will be open from February 1 to February 29. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.  

“The ESE lab is excited to partner with Anne Arundel County to help increase voter participation and improve the voter experience,” said Dr. Natalie M. Scala, associate professor and co-director of ESE at Towson University. 

For information on the survey, email the ESE at TU at secureelections AT_TOWSON. For information on voting in Anne Arundel County, email the Anne Arundel County BoE at elections@aacounty.org. For media inquiries, email Jamie Abell at jaabell@towson.edu. 

About Towson University  
Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 150 years of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore, TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with more than 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and applied professional fields. Located amid one of the East Coast’s cultural and economic epicenters, TU is a beacon and powerful catalyst in the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with hundreds of businesses and organizations, impacting communities and fueling change. TU meets the holistic needs of each student to achieve success, a result of a deeply inclusive culture with a focus on equity among all students, faculty and staff.   

About Towson University ESE
The Empowering Secure Elections Lab at Towson University is non-partisan and focused on advancing the understanding of risks to election processes and developing actionable training tools to local boards of elections to empower poll workers to be able to identify and mitigate potential cyber, physical and insider threats that can arise throughout an election. Their work in cybersecurity and threat training for poll workers received a U.S. Elections Assistance Commission Clearinghouse Award for Outstanding Innovation in Election Cybersecurity and Technology. 

About Anne Arundel County Election Office
The mission of the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections is to provide all eligible citizens of Anne Arundel County convenient access to voter registration; to provide all registered voters accessible locations in which they may exercise their right to vote; to ensure uniformity of election practices; to promote fair and equitable elections; and to maintain registration records, and other election-related data accurately and in a form that is accessible to the public.