Politics

At trial more than two decades ago, DNA analysis didn’t help Baltimore prosecutors convince a jury to find Adnan Syed guilty in the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Twenty-two years later, the results of new DNA analysis on evidence collected in the 1999 homicide could be the last bit of information Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby needs to drop Syed’s charges.

After a lengthy midterm primary in which some candidates had to wait more than a week to learn the results of their races, party nominees will campaign this month and next ahead of the general election to represent Anne Arundel County at the local, state and federal level. Candidates have about six weeks to crisscross the county raising money and winning over voters in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election. Voters must register by Oct. 18 or at their polling place on Election Day with proper Maryland documentation. Residents hoping to vote by mail must request their mail-in ballots by Nov. 1 and have their ballots postmarked by Election Day or deposited in a dropbox by 8 p.m. that day. Early voting starts Oct. 27 and ends Nov. 3.

A Montgomery County circuit court judge sided with the state Board of Elections on Friday, ruling that Maryland elections officials may process and count mail-in ballots as they come in. In granting the election board’s petition, Chief Administrative Judge James Bonifant accepted their argument that the expected deluge of mail-in ballots would result in a weeks-long delay before results could be tabulated, potentially creating turmoil. He rejected arguments advanced by attorneys for Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick), the GOP candidate governor. “There is no doubt that the increased number of mail-in ballots will have an enormous effect on the process of this election,” said Bonifant, in a ruling he delivered from the bench.