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FEDERALSBURG – The Town of Federalsburg announced via Facebook late Tuesday night that District 1’s Brandy James will keep her seat on the Federalsburg Town Council, but District 2’s Ian Ferguson was defeated by challenger Bruce Hancock, Jr. by a margin of 33 votes. Town officials also addressed that there was an issue with voter tallies that morning. The Federalsburg Mayor and Town Council convened in an emergency session to address the situation and obtain legal advice on election night.
The Town of Federalsburg’s Facebook page reported at 6:22 p.m. on November 3 that “Mayor and Council will be having an emergency closed session for legal advice at 6:30pm.”
Hours later, after polls closed and votes were counted, town officials made another post. “The Town of Federalsburg would like to thank all residents who participated in the 2026 Municipal Election and exercised their right to vote,” it read. The results included in the post had Brandy James winning her seat with 49 votes for District 1 Council Member, and in the District 2 race, Bruce Hancock with 103 votes and Ian Ferguson with 70 votes.
This post also included the following statement:
“During the morning of November 3, 2026, an issue was identified with the electronic voting machines provided by Electec. The issue allowed voters casting ballots before approximately 7:30 a.m. the ability to select a candidate for both council districts, rather than being restricted to their respective district.
Electec acknowledged responsibility for the error, and the voting machines were corrected at approximately 7:30 a.m. Prior to the closing of the polls, the Mayor and Council met in closed session to discuss the election incident and receive advice from legal counsel regarding the appropriate course of action.
Following the close of the polls, the Mayor and Council were informed of the election results, including the 33-vote margin between the District 2 candidates.
After considering the margin of victory and the advice of legal counsel, the Mayor and Council determined that the votes cast would remain valid and that the election results would stand.”
“The Town of Federalsburg appreciates the patience and understanding of its residents and remains committed to maintaining the integrity, fairness, and transparency of its municipal elections,” the post concluded.
