Montgomery County voters really like voting by mail. About one-third of county voters cast their ballots that way in 2024.

But President Donald Trump — though he recently voted by mail — wants to restrict the practice. He issued an executive order Tuesday directing the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Social Security Administration, to compile lists of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state. The order also directs the U.S. Postal Service not to transmit mail-in ballots from individuals not included on those lists.

That could make it tougher for some voters to use the mail-in option in upcoming elections.

Trump said his order would “strengthen election integrity,” though his persistent claims linking mail-in to voter fraud have been widely debunked.

The Democratic National Committee and several states have already filed lawsuits challenging the order as unconstitutional, which could prevent it from taking effect before the midterm elections.

Montgomery County Board of Elections President David Naimon said that it’s not clear yet how the order could impact local voters, particularly because of the legal challenge. Montgomery County’s primary is on June 23.

“My personal understanding is that the U.S. Constitution gives states, not the president or the Postal Service, the power to administer elections, subject to congressional legislation,” Naimon told The Banner.

This executive order comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to set Election Day as the deadline for accepting votes. Currently, mail-in ballots must be counted if they arrive after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked on or before Election Day.

Naimon said mail-in ballots were becoming increasingly popular in the county even before their use peaked in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mail-in voting is very convenient, popular and safe,” he said.

Teachers: Fully fund school budget request

County Executive Marc Elrich’s tax hike proposal has been unpopular — not just with some residents, but with several council members, who say they’re concerned about burdening families impacted by a faltering economy and federal layoffs.

Many education advocates want to shift the focus of budget discussions to the needs of Montgomery County Public Schools.

Elrich’s proposed budget would cover the county schools’ $3.8 billion request for fiscal 2027 by raising the property tax rate by almost 6%.

The Montgomery County Education Association, a union representing the county’s public school teachers, will rally in front of the County Council building in Rockville on Wednesday to urge passage of a budget that fully funds the school system’s entire request.

“It’s easy to do what’s right by our students and educators in good times,” MCEA President David Stein said in a press release Thursday. “We know it takes courage, foresight, and creativity to do so in rough times.”

The teachers union will be joined at the rally by Superintendent Thomas Taylor as well as Service Employees International Union Local 500 and the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals.

“At a time when our schools are facing growing needs, cutting or underfunding the very workers who keep classrooms running and students supported is the wrong choice,” Pia Morrison, president of SEIU Local 500, said in the press release.

New state funding will expand MoCo Pride Center to Silver Spring

MoCo Pride Center CEO Phillip Alexander Downie has long wanted to expand the organization beyond its existing Bethesda headquarters. That plan just got a $500,000 boost.

The capital budget passed by the Maryland General Assembly Monday will provide the funding for the Pride Center to expand into Silver Spring, Democratic Del. Lorig Charkoudian of Silver Spring’s District 20 announced in an Instagram video Thursday.

The Bethesda center, tucked into the county’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, is funded in part by county government to meet increased demand for health and other services among the county’s LGBTQIA+ community.

Downie told The Banner in August that his mission includes opening additional centers in Silver Spring, Wheaton and Upcounty, as well as a mobile Pride unit.

According to Charkoudian, the $500,000 will fund physical and mental health services at the future Silver Spring site. A location has not been announced.

Downie said he hopes that in addition to offering these services, the expansion will “help make sure folks are able to be fed and find housing.”

The MoCo Pride Center started out as a local organization supporting the county’s LGBTQIA+ community in 2017, but didn’t have the resources to open brick-and-mortar headquarters until August 2025.