Ten Absentee Ballots. One Council Seat. Snow Hill Counts Again.

What does it take to trust an election decided by four votes? In Snow Hill, Maryland, the answer is playing out one ballot at a time.

The May 5, 2026, town election in this Worcester County seat of roughly 2,100 left the Eastern District council race too close to call — and it is still unresolved as officials prepare to open the final batch of 10 absentee ballots. The dispute offers a close-up look at how election integrity questions surface not just in national headlines but in the smallest of town halls.

What happened in the election?

After the May 5 vote, incumbent Councilman Eddie Lee — who turned 91 on May 12 — trailed challenger Ethan W. Shockley by four votes, 76 to 72, according to the OC Today-Dispatch. A week later, officials canvassed 11 of 21 absentee and provisional ballots. Each council candidate received two additional votes, putting Shockley ahead 78 to 74.

The race will not be called until the remaining 10 absentee ballots are opened and counted.

Why is the incumbent challenging the results?

Lee is formally requesting a recount of all absentee ballots counted so far, and he wants it done before the last batch of unopened ballots is reviewed. He is also asking to review absentee ballot envelopes to verify postmark dates.

In a May 15 statement, Lee said: "At a time when public trust in elections is critically important, transparency and procedural consistency benefit every voter and every candidate, regardless of the final outcome."

What does Lee allege went wrong?

Lee specifically alleges that the Snow Hill Board of Election Supervisors failed to follow procedure on May 12 by using only three supervisors to count ballots instead of including a fourth, who Lee says arrived after the votes were tallied.

How does the town respond?

Town Manager Rick Pollitt said no votes were cast improperly and the election results are accurate, but the town's elections board agreed to consider Lee's request for a recount.

Pollitt disputes Lee's assertion that a fourth supervisor arrived late, citing a video recording of the procedure. He said Lee was present on Election Day to observe poll-closing procedures and was not denied access during tabulation, and that Lee would be welcome — like any member of the public — to observe future absentee ballot canvassing.

Is this the only issue involving Lee?

No. Snow Hill also flagged Lee for a municipal campaign finance violation. In a letter sent four days before the election, elections supervisor Jan King noted that rules prohibit campaign contributions over $250. Lee's April 30 finance report showed donations of $500 from Link Bank and $3,000 from Royal Plus Electric. By law, King wrote, Lee must return any amount over $250 to those donors.

What about the rest of the ballot?

The mayor's race has been called for Simpson, a former Eastern District councilwoman, who defeated challenger Rob Hall 222 to 84 to win a second mayoral term. Western District Councilman Margaret Ann Fletcher, whose two-year term expires next spring, was not on the ballot.

Winning candidates are scheduled to be sworn in June 9 at the town's regular council meeting.

Why does this matter beyond Snow Hill?

The Snow Hill dispute is small in scale but large in what it illustrates. A race decided by single digits, a recount demand, a question about whether the right number of supervisors counted the ballots, and a separate campaign finance violation — these are the building blocks of public trust, and they are built or eroded at the local level, a theme we develop in our Election Integrity issue hub.

The strongest argument against Lee's challenge is that Pollitt's response is measured and evidence-based: a video recording, an open invitation to observe, a statement that no improper votes were cast. If the procedures were followed, a recount will confirm it and the challenger will have done his duty by asking.

The strongest argument for Lee is that in a race this close, asking is not an accusation — it is a right. Verifying postmark dates, confirming that the full board was present, and recounting absentee ballots are not attacks on democracy; they are the mechanisms that make a small election trustworthy. A community that cannot answer those questions transparently has no business asking voters to trust the outcome.

Snow Hill, the Maryland county seat of Worcester County since 1742, is doing what every town should when an election is razor-thin: counting carefully, answering questions, and letting the process work. Whether the final 10 ballots favor the 91-year-old incumbent or his challenger, the integrity of the count — not the identity of the winner — is what the town will be judged on.

For more on how local election procedures shape public trust, follow our Election Center.