Petition - Introduction

An act of the General Assembly can be placed on the 2024 General Election ballot by the submission of petitions containing at least 60,157 signatures of Maryland Registered voters.

2024 Statewide Referendum Petition Filing

• Monday, May 6, 2024 - Deadline for requesting advance determination of sufficiency of referendum petition format.
• Friday, May 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing one-third of the required number of signatures (20,053) with the Secretary of State.
• Thursday, June 20, 2024  - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Friday, June 21, 2024 - Deadline to certify the results of the first submission of the required signatures.
• Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing the balance of the required number of signatures (40,104) with the Secretary of State.
• Monday, July 22, 2024 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - Deadline to certify the results of the full referendum petition verification

2023 Statewide Referendum Petition Filing

• Monday, May 1, 2023 - Deadline for requesting advance determination of sufficiency of referendum petition format.
• Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing one-third of the required number of signatures (20,053) with the Secretary of State.
• Tuesday, June 20 2023 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Wednesday, June 21, 2023 - Deadline to certify the results of the first submission of the required signatures.
• Friday, June 30, 2023 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing the balance of the required number of signatures (40,104) with the Secretary of State.
• Thursday, July 20, 2023 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Monday, July 24, 2023 - Deadline to certify the results of the full referendum petition verification

2022 Statewide Referendum Petition Filing

• Monday, May 2, 2022 - Deadline for requesting advance determination of sufficiency of referendum petition format.
• Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing one-third of the required number of signatures (23,045) with the Secretary of State.
• Tuesday, June 21 2022 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Thursday, June 23, 2022 - Deadline to certify the results of the first submission of the required signatures.
• Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing the balance of the required number of signatures (46,090) with the Secretary of State.
• Monday, July 20, 2022 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Friday, July 22, 2022 - Deadline to certify the results of the full referendum petition verification

2019/2020 Statewide Referendum Petition Filing

SBE policy and public notice to extend certain petition deadlines

Temporary State Board Policy for collection of petition signatures from April 22, 2020 through deadlines for gaining access to 2020 General Election ballot. Additional information under development.

An act of the General Assembly can be placed on the 2020 General Election ballot by the submission of petitions containing at least 69,135 signatures of Maryland registered voters.

Timeline:

2019

• Wednesday, May 1, 2019 - Deadline for requesting advance determination of sufficiency of referendum petition format.
• Friday, May 31, 2019 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing one-third of the required number of signatures (23,045) with the Secretary of State.
• Thursday, June 20, 2019 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Monday, June 24, 2019 - Deadline to certify the results of the first submission of the required signatures.
• Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing the balance of the required number of signatures (46,090) with the Secretary of State.
• Monday, July 22, 2019 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Wednesday, July 24, 2019 - Deadline to certify the results of the full referendum petition verification.

2020

• Friday, May 1, 2020 - Deadline for requesting advance determination of sufficiency of referendum petition format.
• Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing one-third of the required number of signatures (23,045) with the Secretary of State.
• Monday, June 22, 2020 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Wednesday, June 24, 2020 - Deadline to certify the results of the first submission of the required signatures.
• Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 11:59 pm - Deadline for filing the balance of the required number of signatures (46,090) with the Secretary of State.
• Monday, July 20, 2020 - Deadline to verify and count the signatures on the referendum petition.
• Wednesday, July 22, 2020 - Deadline to certify the results of the full referendum petition verification.

2012 Petition Filings

Referendum Petitions

Special Session 2011 - Senate Bill 1 - Chapter 1
2012 Congressional Districting Plan
May 31st, 2012 - 1st Filing

Verification Status by County for the May 31, 2012 Filing as of June 21, 2012

Special Session 2011 - Senate Bill 1 - Chapter 1
2012 Congressional Districting Plan
June 30th, 2012 - 2nd Filing

Verification Status by County for the June 30, 2012 Filing as of July 16, 2012

Letter to the petition sponsor regarding the sufficiency of signatures - Dated July 20, 2012

Session 2012 - House Bill 438 - Chapter Number 2
Civil Marriage Protection Act
May 31st, 2012 - 1st Filing

Letter to the petition sponsor regarding the sufficiency of signatures - Dated July 10, 2012

Verification Status by County for the May 31, 2012 Filing as of June 21, 2012

2011 Petition Filings

Referendum Petitions

Senate Bill 167 - Chapter Number 191
Public Institution of Higher Education - Tuition Rates - Exemption (Dream Act)
May 31st, 2011 - 1st Filing

Letter to the petition sponsor regarding the May 31st submission of signatures - Dated June 22, 2011

Verification Status by County for the May 31, 2011 Filing

Verification Status Summary for the May 31, 2011 Filing

Senate Bill 167 - Chapter Number 191
Public Institution of Higher Education - Tuition Rates - Exemption (Dream Act)
June 30th, 2011 - 2nd Filing

Letter to the petition sponsor regarding the June 30th submission of signatures

Verification Status Summary for the June 30, 2011 Filing

Petition Summary Page - June 30, 2011 Filing

Verification Status by County for the May 31, 2011 Filing and June 30, 2011 Filing

Additional Information

Maryland law grants the citizens of Maryland certain petition rights. These rights include:

• the ability to bring an Act of the General Assembly to a referendum vote;
• the ability to establish new political parties; and,
• the ability to nominate unaffiliated candidates to the ballot.

From this site you can print the official petition signature gathering forms as well as other documents required to complete a petition. To assist you through the petition process, we offer three sections of questions and answers: Petition Signature Gathering, Petition Verification, and Petition Fund and Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements.

For more information on petitions, please see the Code for Maryland Regulations (COMAR).