Electoral reform in
Maryland refers to efforts, proposals and plans to change the election and voting laws in Maryland. In 2007, Maryland became the first
U.S. state to join the
National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Bills have also been introduced to implement
instant runoff voting (IRV) statewide, but they have failed, largely due to legislators' concerns about complicating the election process and causing technical problems similar to those encountered by
Florida during the
2000 U.S. Presidential election
The 2000 United States presidential election was the 54th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 2000. Republican candidate George W. Bush, the governor of Texas and eldest son of the 41st president, George H. W. Bush ...
. However,
Takoma Park, Maryland adopted IRV in 2006 after it won 84% approval in an advisory ballot measure on November 8, 2005. Maryland is the home of the electoral reform organization
Fairvote. In 2007, Maryland's
Board of Elections Administrator, Linda Lamone, was quoted in
Diebold advertising literature.
Maryland Election Official Endorses Diebold Machines in Marketing Literature
Kim Zetter, June 26, 2007.
Ballot access
Party certifications are done for each gubernatorial cycle (e.g. 2006–2010). If the number of registered voters to a political party is less than 1%, then 10,000 petition signatures must be gathered for that party to be considered certified. A party must be certified before voters can register under that party. A party can also be certified for a two-year term if their candidate receives more than 1% of the vote. Reformers would like to see the ballot access laws loosened.
See also
Electoral reform in the United States
Electoral reform in the United States refers to efforts to change American elections and the electoral system used in the United States.
Most elections in the U.S. select one person; elections with multiple candidates selected by proportional ...
References
Politics of Maryland
Maryland
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