Queenstown Election Cancelled, Hardee Declared Elected

Queen Anne's County, MD - Queenstown voters will not be heading to the polls for the town's commissioner race this fall. The election for Commissioner of Queenstown, which was set for November 2, 2026, has been cancelled.

The change comes after one of the two candidates dropped out of the race. Megan Pinder told the Town Office she was withdrawing her candidacy, effective October 15, 2026.

That left Alton Hardee, Jr. as the only candidate who filed a certificate of nomination. The deadline to file that paperwork has already passed, so no other names can be added to the race.

When a seat has only one candidate, the town's charter allows the election to be called off. The town pointed to Queenstown Town Charter, Section 19-21.2, titled "Cancellation of Election Where Seat is Uncontested."

Under that rule, Hardee has been declared elected as Commissioner of Queenstown. He will be sworn in at the November Commissioners meeting.

The town also shared an important note for anyone who voted by mail. Any absentee ballots the Town Clerk has already received, or receives from now on, will be destroyed without being opened.

That means residents who already sent in an absentee ballot do not need to take any further steps. Their ballots simply will not be counted since there is no longer a race to decide.

Queenstown is a small town in Queen Anne's County. Residents with questions about the election or the upcoming Commissioners meeting can reach out to the Queenstown Town Office.