MD Presidential Ballot Access
Maryland Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Maryland, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a qualified political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Qualified political parties must file a certificate of nomination for President and Vice-President with the State Board of Elections within 5 days after the conclusion of the national party convention. Political parties must certify the names of the electors to the State Board of Elections 30 days before the General Election. A qualified political party is a political party that has nominated a candidate for the highest office on the ballot in a sta tewide general election and the candidate received at least 1% of the total vote for that office, or; if state voter registration totals as of December 31st show that at least 1% of the state’s registered voters are affiliated with the political party. A group of voters may form a new qualified political party by filing with the state board of election no later than the first Monday in August containing the signatures of at least 10,000 registered voters.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
A presidential candidate that is not affiliated with a political party may obtain ballot access by submitting a petition with the state board of election no later than the first Monday in August a certificate of candidacy and a petition containing the signatures of at least 10,000 registers voters of the state. The candidate must certify to the state board of election no later than 30 days before the ele ction the names of the presidential electors.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file a certificate of candidacy with the state board of elections no later than the Wednesday before the election.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Md. Ann. Code Art. 33, §§ 1-101, 4-102, 4-103, 5-301, 5-303, 5-701, 7-503, 5-704, 8-503
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.