In a recent editorial regarding Election Day reform in Baltimore, The Sun recommended that the city "should consider reforms" like allowing independents to serve as election judges ("Gearing up for November's election," Sept. 18). Under the provisions of legislation I sponsored in 1996 which passed the General Assembly, local jurisdictions are currently permitted to use independents as election judges when there are six or more election judges in a given precinct and the number of independent election judges does not exceed the number of either Democratic of Republican election judges.
While existing law is adequate for some precincts, the statute should be amended to cover those instances where there is a dearth of election judges and fewer than six election judges in a precinct.
John R. Leopold, Pasadena
The writer, a Republican, served as Anne Arundel County Executive from 2006 to 2013 and represented District 31 in the Maryland House of Delegates.