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Presidential Primary Ballot Placement in Maryland

Statement Regarding the 2012 Presidential Primary Election

In Maryland, there are two ways that a U.S. Presidential candidate may have his or her name placed on the primary election ballot. The first method is a determination by the Secretary of State as provided by Election Law Article, §8-502 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. It specifically provides that "[t]he Secretary of State shall certify the name of a presidential candidate on the ballot when the Secretary has determined, in the Secretary's sole discretion and consistent with party rules, that the candidate's candidacy is generally advocated or recognized in the news media throughout the United States or in Maryland. . ."

As an initial determination, the Secretary of State will employ the following policy in selecting candidates for the primary ballot:

A candidate who is invited to and participates in any of the following presidential debates will appear as a candidate on the Maryland primary election ballot unless the candidate requests by affidavit that his or her name be withdrawn:

Democratic Party
TBD

Republican Party
June 13, 2011 – Manchester, New Hampshire
August 11, 2011 – Ames, Iowa
September 7, 2011 – Simi Valley, California
October 18, 2011 – Las Vegas, Nevada
November 9, 2011 – Rochester, Michigan
December 10, 2011 – Des Moines, Iowa

Other individuals who believe they should be added to the primary election ballot based on media recognition should provide the Secretary of State's Office sufficient documentation from multiple print and/or broadcast media outlets about their candidacy for U.S. President.

The second method for a U.S. Presidential candidate to be placed on the primary election ballot is through the petition process. This is for Presidential candidates who have not obtained a sufficient level of media recognition to be selected by the Secretary of State. The law states in Election Law Article, §8-502(b)(2) and (d)(1) that a candidate for the office of President shall submit to the State Board of Elections a petition containing the signatures of not less than 400 registered voters from each congressional district. An individual seeking to be placed on the primary election ballot by the petition process should review the filing procedures and forms available on the State Board of Elections’ website (www.elections.state.md.us under “Petition”).