Endorsement Procedures
Rules for Endorsement of Candidates by theMaryland Public Assembly
1. All Assembly members will be entitled to vote at all endorsement sessions for which public offices are under consideration in their respective voting jurisdiction; provided however that such entitlement shall apply only to those who are duly qualified through payment of application and membership fee (or proper written waiver or reduced fee as the case may be) as of at least three (3) days in advance of the endorsement session.
2. There will be no proxies and no write-in votes. Endorsement votes will be taken only at a meeting called for that purpose. All balloting will be by secret pre-printed ballot.
3. A participant at any endorsement session need not vote for as many candidates as there are seats to be filled for a particular office. A ballot marked with less than the number of candidates being endorsed, or marked with no candidates, will be deemed cast in determining the total number of ballots cast.
4. Single Seat Offices: Any endorsement for a single office will require more than 50% of the ballots cast. If no candidate receives the required votes on either of the first two balloting, the candidate who received the least votes will be dropped and a new balloting will be held. This process will be continued for each new ballot as needed until only two candidates are left. Thereafter no more than three (3) ballotings may be held. If no candidate then has received the required votes, no endorsement will be made. Voting ends upon endorsement.
5. Multiple Seat Offices: All endorsements for multiple-seat offices will require more than 50% of the ballots cast. If the number of candidates receiving more than 50% of the ballots cast equals the number of seats up for endorsement, then they shall be declared the endorsed candidates, or:
(a) If all candidates receive less than 50% of the ballots cast on either of the first two ballotings, then the candidate who received the least votes will be dropped and a new balloting will be held. This process will be continued for each new ballot and the three-balloting procedure outlined for single seat offices will be followed if the number of candidates is reduced to one more than the number to be endorsed and no one has received the more than 50% votes required.
(b) If one or more candidates, but not as many as there are seats, receive more than 50% of the ballots cast, then those receiving such a majority will be declared endorsed and a new balloting will be conducted for those who did not receive more than 50%.
(c) If more candidates than there are seats receive more than 50% of the ballots cast, then those candidates who receive the highest number of votes, equal in number to the seats to be endorsed, shall be endorsed.
(d) In all cases, candidates will be dropped only if the remaining list will exceed by at least one the number of seats to be filled. In the case of a tie directly affecting the outcome, a run-off will be held among those tied.
6. A ballot with more votes on it than the number of seats to be filled, remaining to be filled, or other invalidity due to lack of clarity or improper marking, shall be null and void, and shall not be counted as cast. A ballot for multiple-seat offices shall have no more than as many votes as there are seats to be filled or remaining to be filled as the case may be; it being understood that the total maximum number of votes to be cast shall be reduced on the corresponding successive ballot by the number of seats filled. A blank ballot shall be considered a vote for "no endorsement" and shall be counted as a ballot cast.
7. .At large/district endorsement voting: For all voting for at-large offices combined with district voting, there shall be two separate ballotings as follows:
(a) The first balloting shall be for the proper number of at-large seats, distributed among the respective districts as required by voting requirements in the election.
(b) The second balloting shall be for district seats to be determined by vote of those qualified members in their respective districts.
All endorsements under this paragraph will require more than 50% of the ballots cast, in accordance with the corresponding balloting provisions of paragraph 4 or 5 above, as the case may be. State
8. Senators and House of Delegate Endorsements: Endorsement balloting for State Senators and House of Delegates will be done by legislative district. Participants from each legislative district shall meet for voting purposes in separate physical areas of the meeting hall.
9. Voting members of the Assembly shall sign an attendance sheet upon entering the meeting hall. A list of qualified members for voting will be kept in alphabetical order by legislative district or otherwise as to most efficiently facilitate voting. Their names shall be checked off by a designated Assembly teller who will thereupon issue a name tag and pertinent official voting ballots for endorsements and candidate questionnaires.
10. The endorsement sessions may be held on different dates which shall most readily assure an efficient and fair endorsement procedure. The following separate sessions shall be assumed as most suitable
(a) Party(s) Central Committee; Courthouse/City Offices
(b) State Legislature
(c) Comptroller, Attorney General, U.S. Senator, Governor
(d) U.S. Congress, County Executive
(e) County Council
11. Candidate Selection and Qualification: There shall be a candidate selection and qualification process to permit candidates to file for a seat proposed for endorsement by the Assembly. Such qualification shall avail all interested persons an opportunity to complete and submit a questionnaire prior to any endorsement. Such questionnaire shall concern their qualification for the office to be endorsed; it being understood that the Assembly may charge a suitable uniform fee of each candidate to cover duplication costs and handling involved in preparation and distribution of such questionnaires to pertinent Assembly members prior to endorsement. Such questionnaire shall provide background information about the candidates and a brief statement of position regarding issues of interest to the Assembly. In order for an endorsement to be valid, a candidate must properly file for the seat endorsed by the Assembly.
12. The endorsement session shall afford each candidate an opportunity to briefly address the pertinent voting members in person of by designated representative. Following such presentation, the balloting shall proceed as follows:
(a) Voting members shall be instructed to fill out their ballots
(b) Under the eye of an impartial observer, ballots will be placed in the ballot box.
(c) The impartial observer shall report the ballot results, and declare the results or provide further voting instructions in accordance with the pertinent provisions of these rules as the case may be.
13. Voters shall scratch off names of drop-offs and/or endorsed candidates from their ballots before subsequent balloting takes place. Failure to do so will not, however, void a ballot provided it is otherwise valid. A large sample ballot will be placed on a blackboard or other prominent location next to the voting table
14. Except as specified in paragraphs 15 and 16, no endorsement shall be valid for any office under the provisions of these rules unless the candidate receives at least three (3) affirmative votes of thoseAssembly members entitled to vote as specified in paragraph 1 of these rules; provided however that any candidate receiving less than three affirmative votes, who otherwise complies with the requirements for endorsement as stated herein above, shall be deemed endorsed if the vote total represents a consensus of those qualified to vote at the endorsement session as confirmed by the State Central Committee. Such consensus shall mean that no other candidate for the same office received an affirmative vote and no final balloting includes a ballot marked as blank or otherwise in abstention to denote a position of 'no endorsement'. Confirmation by the State Central Committee shall be determined by affirmative acceptance of the voting results on the basis of their being consistent with the spirit and principles of the Assembly; and that there is no opposing vote on the State Central Committee to such acceptance.
15. In jurisdictions where there are no Assembly members, or where those entitled to vote do not attend an endorsement sessions where candidates have properly applied for Assembly endorsement in that jurisdiction, the Assembly members representing the local committee where that jurisdiction is located, who are present at the session, shall be entitled to vote for such endorsement without regard to their residence in such jurisdiction. In this case, endorsement procedures shall be conducted for voting by those Assembly members in all respects otherwise to conform as closely as possible to these rules.
16. In counties where there are duly qualified Assembly members and no Assembly member attends an endorsement session where candidates have properly presented themselves for endorsement, the State Central Committee may conduct voting among its own membership without regard to otherwise applicable residence or membership on the local committee in the applicable county or jurisdiction. In this case, endorsements will be made by consensus of the State Central committee wherein there is no opposing vote or abstention to indicate 'no endorsement' with respect to the endorsement of a particular candidate.
17. Endorsement for state-wide candidates shall employ procedures indicated here for local candidates; however, a single state-wide endorsement session shall be held for all Assembly members in a location and at a time most convenient to the majority of those likely to attend.
Inquires and Questions:
Lee Havis, Chairperson
Maryland Public Assembly
Tel. (301) 589-0733
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