Opinion: Maryland should help its military members vote

By Sam Kinch

PUBLISHED: July 16, 2026 at 1:50 PM EDT

Military service is an apolitical act. Voting is one of the few ways we can influence the decisions that shape our lives — where we’re deployed, how we’re equipped and what happens to our families while we’re gone.As a Marylander with 30 years of Army and Air Force service, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it can be for military members and their families to cast a ballot. Hectic schedules, dangerous conditions and unreliable overseas mail meant I never knew whether my vote would actually be counted. That uncertainty was a quiet injustice I lived with for three decades.Recently, the Supreme Court reached the right result in Watson v. RNC, allowing states including Maryland to continue counting mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and arrive during the state’s grace period. As someone who relied on absentee voting throughout my military career, I welcome that decision.But preserving today’s protections shouldn’t end the conversation about expanding access to the ballot.

Military voters still don’t choose where they are stationed. They don’t control overseas mail systems, deployment schedules or whether a ship is underway on Election Day. Back home, many older Marylanders, voters with disabilities and residents of rural communities continue to face obstacles to voting in person. Election rules also continue to evolve through legislation, executive action and the courts, creating uncertainty for voters and election officials alike.

Maryland has long been a leader in making voting more accessible. Rather than waiting for the next legal challenge or federal policy shift, our state should continue exploring secure, modern ways to ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot. One promising approach is to explore secure smartphone voting in municipal elections.

Mobile voting addresses barriers that traditional voting methods cannot always overcome. A mobile ballot is transmitted instantly. There is no dependence on overseas mail, no lengthy trip to a polling place and no uncertainty about whether a ballot arrived in time. A sailor deployed halfway around the world, a veteran with limited mobility or a Marylander who cannot easily travel to vote could all cast a ballot securely from wherever they are.

I’ll admit I was initially skeptical. I spent years leading the integration of National Guard cybersecurity forces into U.S. Cyber Command. I understand the consequences when digital systems fail.

But mobile voting technology has advanced considerably. Modern systems incorporate end-to-end verifiability so voters can confirm their ballots were cast, recorded and counted correctly. They employ strong encryption to protect ballot privacy, and some platforms make their source code publicly available so independent experts can evaluate their security. Those are exactly the safeguards we should expect of any voting technology.

And we’ve already seen promising results. In South Carolina, mobile voting pilots increased military and overseas voter participation by 45% and reduced staff processing time. In a Seattle conservation district election, turnout doubled the first year mobile voting was offered and tripled thereafter. These were real elections that demonstrated how technology can expand participation while maintaining election integrity.

Last year, the Maryland legislature held hearings on legislation that would allow cities to offer mobile voting in municipal elections. Starting with municipal elections gives Maryland the opportunity to evaluate new technology carefully, transparently and responsibly before considering broader applications.

The Supreme Court’s decision preserved an important protection for Maryland voters. We shouldn’t stop there. Every eligible Marylander, especially those serving overseas, living with disabilities or facing barriers to traditional voting, deserves a secure and reliable way to participate in our democracy.

We ask military members to defend our democracy around the world. The least we can do is continue finding better ways for them to participate in it at home.

Sam Kinch, a resident of Crownsville, served 30 years in the U.S. Army and Air Force and is a cybersecurity expert who led the integration of National Guard cybersecurity forces into U.S. Cyber Command.