Public Data Aggregation Policy & Legal Disclaimers
This document outlines the editorial standards, automated data compilation methods, non-partisan pledge, and defamation/libel protections governing Open Elections Southern Maryland.
1. Civic Mission & Primary Source Verification Disclaimer
Our Mission: Open Elections Southern Maryland is an independent candidate information aggregation service created to help Southern Maryland voters compare candidate stances and policy positions easily side-by-side without having to dig through separate campaign websites, Facebook posts, and local news articles across St. Mary's and Calvert Counties.
Important Notice — Always Verify Critical Information with Official Primary Sources:
All data presented on this website is aggregated from public records, statements, media articles, and state filings. While we endeavor to ensure all data is accurate and updated, this website is an independent informational guide and is not an official certifying body. Voters must always check primary official sources for certified ballot candidate lists, voter registration status, mail-in ballot deadlines, and official early voting or drop box locations:
- St. Mary's County Board of Elections: stmaryscountymd.gov/supervisorofelections • Phone: (301) 475-4200 Ext. 1625 • P.O. Box 197, Leonardtown, MD 20650
- Calvert County Board of Elections: calvertcountymd.gov/154/Election-Board • Phone: (410) 535-2214 • 30 Duke Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
- Maryland State Board of Elections: elections.maryland.gov • Toll-Free: 1-800-222-8683 • Annapolis, MD
2. Compilation of Publicly Available Information
Open Elections Southern Maryland operates strictly as a civic aggregator and informational index. Content published on this website—including candidate biographies, stated platform positions, policy quotes, campaign finance links, and media timelines—is compiled exclusively from publicly accessible primary sources, including:
- Official candidate campaign websites, digital platforms, and verified public press releases.
- Publicly certified candidate filings and disclosures with the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) and the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System (MDCRIS).
- Published reporting, election debates, candidate questionnaires, and news articles from local and regional media organizations (including The BayNet, The Southern Maryland Chronicle, Southern Maryland News Net, and Maryland Matters).
- Public forum transcripts, governmental meeting minutes of the St. Mary's Board of County Commissioners, and public legislative records.
Open Elections Southern Maryland does not perform investigative reporting, editorial endorsements, or original accusations against any individual. All candidate statements are quoted verbatim or summarized directly from their respective source materials with transparent hyperlinks to allow voters to review the primary source.
3. Third-Party Content & Intermediary Liability (Section 230 CDA)
Pursuant to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230), Open Elections Southern Maryland and its operating technology partners act as an interactive computer service provider and intermediary that displays, organizes, and aggregates content provided by third parties (such as candidate campaigns, official government databases, and accredited news outlets).
Statements made by political candidates or news reporters remain solely the expressions and opinions of those third parties. The presence of any aggregated article, statement, or quote on this website does not constitute an endorsement, adoption, or ratification of such statement by Open Elections Southern Maryland.
4. Strict Non-Partisanship & Neutrality
Open Elections Southern Maryland is entirely non-partisan. We do not endorse, rank, evaluate, fund, or oppose any candidate, political party, committee, or ballot referendum.
Our comparison tools present candidates in a neutral, standardized format. Every candidate in a given race is afforded equivalent structure, and stances are categorized based on factual policy categories (e.g. Education, Public Safety, Economy, Taxes) rather than subjective grading.
5. Fair Use Doctrine Notice (17 U.S.C. § 107)
This website may contain copyrighted material (such as candidate campaign headshots, brief quotes from news articles, or public campaign logos) whose use has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
Such material is made available strictly for educational, informational, and civic purposes to inform voters on the democratic process. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17, Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act.
6. Candidate Corrections, Updates & Right of Reply
We strive for 100% accuracy and fairness. Candidates, campaign managers, and authorized representatives are strongly encouraged to review their profiles and comparison matrices.
How to submit an update or factual correction:
Please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Candidate Profile Update: [Candidate Name]".
Please include a link to your official campaign website, press release, or public document confirming the position. Verified submissions will be reviewed and updated within 48 business hours.
7. Infrastructure & Operating Entity
The software architecture, automated data aggregation pipelines, and cloud hosting for Open Elections Southern Maryland are developed and maintained by Hayashi Tech LLC as a civic technology project.
Digital infrastructure, automated crawlers, and platform hosting operated by Hayashi Tech LLC.
Formal inquiries, legal notices, or correspondence regarding platform operation may be directed to:
Attention: Civic Data Operations, Hayashi Tech LLC
Email: [email protected]