Elections are about to be held in many bellwether states. And this does nothing to inspire confidence.
And now a serious lapse in election security is putting everyone on edge.
Voter Roll Oversight Raises Concerns
Despite his arrest by ICE last month and his residence in Iowa, 1,000 miles away, former Des Moines schools Superintendent Ian Roberts remains listed on Maryland’s voter rolls, according to multiple sources.
The circumstances surrounding how Mr. Roberts, an undocumented immigrant, was added to Maryland’s voter registry are sparking significant controversy.
Compounding the issue, Mr. Roberts stayed on the voter list and even had multiple absentee ballots issued to his registered address, despite having left Maryland years ago for Iowa. Under Maryland’s own regulations, he likely should have been removed from the rolls long before now.
Documents obtained by the American Accountability Foundation show a voter profile for “Ian Andre Roberts,” which indicates he was sent an absentee ballot in Maryland in 2020, around the time he transitioned from a school position in St. Louis to superintendent in Millcreek, Pennsylvania. Additional ballots were issued for his address in 2025 and earlier this year, while he was leading schools in Iowa’s largest city.
Through an open-records request in Prince George’s County, where Mr. Roberts was registered, Tom Jones of the AAF acquired his registration form. Notably, the county obscured Mr. Roberts’ response to the citizenship question—a redaction one expert in voter records described as unprecedented.
This opacity alarmed Mr. Jones.
Whether Mr. Roberts marked “Yes,” “No,” or left the citizenship question blank, his registration raises red flags, as the state processed it regardless. His signature on the form, another claim of citizenship, adds to the concerns.
“The verification process in Maryland for whether you’re a lawful voter with regard to citizenship is ‘I pinky-swear,’” Mr. Jones said. “I don’t know another place in life this serious that we’re willing to take such a flimsy assertion.”
Political Fallout and Calls for Reform
Maryland Delegate Brian Chisholm, a Republican from Anne Arundel County, called the situation a humiliating lapse for the state.
“It was so obvious this guy should not be on our voter registration rolls and should have been removed. So how many other people are in that same category?” Mr. Chisholm said. “We’re just ripe for fraud and abuse in this state. People want election integrity. We just sow more and more doubt into it when we learn of cases like this. I don’t think it’s isolated.”
Election officials have remained tight-lipped.
The Prince George’s Board of Elections deferred inquiries to its deputy administrator, Demetra K.M. Hutchinson, who passed them to the State Board of Elections. The state board referred back to a Sept. 30 press release, its only comment on the issue.
In that release, the board acknowledged public reports about Mr. Roberts but warned against assuming the individual named was the same voter, stating, “Therefore, SBE cannot and will not publicly announce whether media reports about the individual in question is or is not or was not a registered voter in Maryland.”
The board confirmed that the person listed as Ian Andre Roberts never cast a vote.
Defending its cautious approach to purging voter rolls, the board stated that removal for noncitizenship requires either the voter’s own request or a report to jury commissioners.
“This office will not disenfranchise a voter based upon partial or unsubstantiated evidence. The right to vote is a sacred right that has been expanded through sacrifices of many before us,” the board said.
Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins, a Montgomery County Democrat overseeing the state House elections subcommittee, did not respond to inquiries.
Defending the System Amid Scrutiny
Nikki Tyree, executive director of the League of Women Voters in Maryland, downplayed concerns about the Roberts case, commending the state’s conservative stance on voter roll maintenance.
“We would rather have our elections administration be cautious so as not to impact people who are eligible to vote, and really rely on that process of making sure that ineligible people are not voting,” she said.
Ms. Tyree expressed confidence in the system, stating, “I’m not really concerned about the process. What I will say is there needs to be some explanation why he wasn’t removed from the list. However, I’m very confident that the State Board of Elections has a process in place that he would never have been allowed to vote.”
But Mr. Chisholm disputed this, pointing to the absentee ballots approved for Mr. Roberts’ address.
“He could have absolutely cast a mail-in ballot or showed up in person and voted. He was active on the rolls,” Mr. Chisholm said.
Mr. Roberts faces federal charges for possessing a firearm as an undocumented immigrant and falsifying his I-9 form to claim legal work status in the U.S.
ICE initially detained him as a deportable individual. At the time, he had a loaded Glock handgun in his vehicle, reportedly purchased by his spouse, Lenisha Roberts. A search of his home uncovered another handgun, a rifle, a shotgun, and various ammunition.
AAF documents reveal that Ian Andrew Roberts registered in December 2011, noting an address change, though Prince George’s County recorded him as a new voter in January 2012.
The citizenship and s-x fields, along with his address and birthday, were redacted. He registered as a Democrat.
In 2014, a voter card mailed to his address was returned as “vacant,” leading to his status being changed to “inactive” that summer and canceled by December 2016.
Shortly after, he submitted an electronic voter registration application, restoring his “active” status in early 2017.
The 2016 form again listed him as a Democrat, with the county redacting fields for s-x, birthday, address, citizenship, and registration method.
The State Board of Elections noted that individuals may be automatically registered at motor vehicle offices “UNINTENTIONALLY” (emphasized in all caps), which they claim is not a legal violation. However, improperly canceling a registration would be against the law, the board stated.
