Maryland
Veto referendum only, and a punishing name-match standard
Maryland is a referendum state, not an initiative state: citizens can repeal an act of the General Assembly but cannot propose new law. What sets Maryland apart is the validation standard — every signature is checked individually, and the form of the signer's name is itself a substantive requirement. Maryland petitions fail on name formatting far more often than on volume.
Signature Requirements
| Office / Measure | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Statewide veto referendum | 3% of votes cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial general election — 60,157 for the 2023–2026 cycle (2022 base) |
| Referendum distribution cap | No more than half the required signatures may come from any one county or Baltimore City |
| Public local law referendum | 10% of votes cast for Governor in the affected jurisdiction at the last gubernatorial general election |
| Unaffiliated candidate, any office | Lesser of 10,000 registered voters or 1% of registered voters eligible to vote for the office, minimum 250 |
| New political party | 10,000 signatures (Md. Election Law § 4-102) |
| Major-party primary candidate | No petition — certificate of candidacy plus filing fee |
| County charter amendment | 20% of registered voters, or 10,000 signatures, whichever is less |
| Municipal charter amendment | Generally 5% of registered voters |
| Filing fees | $290 Governor/U.S. Senate; $100 U.S. House; $50 General Assembly — no petition-in-lieu option |
The Name Standard Is the Whole Game
A signature counts only if the name appears exactly as on the voter registration list, or as the registered surname plus at least one full given name and the initial of any other names. "Bob Smith" for a registrant recorded as "Robert J. Smith" is rejected. Printed and signed portions need not match each other, but between them the required components must be present and legible.
Two-Stage Filing Is a Feedback Loop
Statewide referendum petitions are filed in two tranches: more than one-third of the required signatures by the end of May, the balance by the end of June, with local boards verifying within twenty calendar days. Sophisticated campaigns treat the first filing as a live audit — the validity rate on tranche one tells you how much cushion tranche two needs.
Who May Circulate
Circulators must be at least 18 when signatures are made. Maryland imposes no residency or registration requirement, making it one of the friendlier East Coast states for professional crews. Each circulator signs an affidavit that signatures were made in their presence; any signature dated after the affidavit date is invalid.
Full Check, No Sample, No Cure
Maryland does not use random sampling. Boards review every entry and code each rejection: not registered, duplicate, date defect, missing signature or address, or name not meeting the standard. Whole pages die for defective circulator information, missing format elements, or improper attachment of the bill text. There is no cure period — the only remedy is judicial review of the board's determination.
Pre-Filing Format Approval
Maryland lets sponsors submit a proposed petition format to the State Board in advance for a determination of legal sufficiency. Skipping this step is optional and reckless: a format ruling obtained before printing eliminates the one category of failure that voids every page at once.
Ballot Measures in Maryland
Maryland has no statewide citizen initiative. Article XVI provides only a veto referendum: petitioners may suspend and submit an act of the General Assembly to the voters, but cannot originate a statute or constitutional amendment. The threshold is 3% of the vote cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial general election — 60,157 for the 2023–2026 cycle — with no more than half from any one county or Baltimore City, filed in two tranches ending in late May and late June of the year following passage. The budget bill and certain other measures are not referable. Below the state level, all nine charter counties, Baltimore City, and Maryland's municipalities must provide a charter-amendment initiative, and that is where most ongoing Maryland petition work lives.
What Trips Campaigns Up in Maryland
We've Worked This Ground
Maryland Ballot Access FAQ
Can Marylanders put a new law on the ballot by petition?
No. Maryland allows only veto referendum — petitioning to repeal an act already passed. There is no statewide initiative for statutes or amendments.
Do circulators have to live in Maryland?
No. The only qualification is being 18 or older when the signatures are made.
Is there a cure period?
No. Boards verify within twenty days and the determination stands absent prompt judicial review. Build margin rather than planning to fix.
What validity rate should we plan for?
Maryland's name standard routinely produces validity rates below other states'. A 2x buffer is a floor; unstructured blank-page collection needs considerably more.
Running a Campaign in This State?
Signature requirements are the easy part. Hitting them on deadline is the job.