The Baltimore Green Party will use the following procedure to determine its nominees for all Baltimore City elections, including Mayor and City Council:
All candidates seeking the nomination of the Baltimore City Green Party must file a Declaration of Intent with the Maryland State Board of Elections, as required by state law. The deadline for filing the Declaration of Intent for 2016 will be Friday, July 1 at 5pm. The Baltimore City Green Party will hold a party-organized primary election including the individuals who have declared their intent to be nominated for City elections.
The first day an individual could file a Declaration of Intent for the 2016 election was January 16, 2015. Candidates are encouraged to begin campaigning as soon as possible.
The Baltimore City Green Party will endeavor to hold public candidate forums both before the deadline for submitting a Declaration of Intent to the State Board of Elections and before the last day of the Baltimore Green Party primary election. In addition to any party-sponsored events, candidates are strongly encouraged to make their own efforts to establish contact with Green Party members in the jurisdiction in which they are seeking nomination.
The Baltimore Green Party will make a Candidate Application available on the main page of the party's website. In addition to the filing requirements established by state law, candidates must complete this application before being listed on the Baltimore Green Party's primary election ballot.
On July 3, 2016 the Baltimore Green Party will publish a primary election ballot including the names of all candidates who are registered Green Party members according to State Board of Elections records, have filed a timely Declaration of Intent with the State Board of Elections, and have completed the Baltimore Green Party Candidate Application.
Every person residing in the City of Baltimore and registered with the State Board of Elections as a Green Party member will be eligible to receive and cast a ballot by mail. Baltimore Green Party members who are not eligible to register to vote according to state law but who have registered with the Baltimore Green Party will be eligible to vote in this primary election.
Ballots will be issued upon request to [email protected] or Baltimore Green Party, P.O. Box 22857, Baltimore, MD 21233. All requests by mail must be received by 5pm on Friday, July 10, 2016.
Voters may only vote for candidates running in the district in which the voter resides according to the State Board of Elections.
In order to verify their status, each voter will be required to provide the following information on their ballot: name, ZIP code, and date of birth. In order to resolve any irregularities each voter must also provide a valid e-mail address or phone number at which they can reached to confirm their ballot.
All ballots must be received by mail by the Baltimore Green Party at P.O. Box 22857, Baltimore, MD 21233 by 5pm on Friday, July 24, 2016.
The Baltimore City Green Party will conduct in-person balloting on Saturday, July 25, 2016. All mail-in ballots will be publicly counted on Saturday, July 25, 2016.
Ranked-choice voting will be implemented whenever possible. "None of the above" will be listed as an option for all races. Write-ins cannot be accepted.
Based on the results of this primary election, the Baltimore Green Party will submit the names of its nominees to the Maryland Green Party Coordinating Council for final approval and submission to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Certificates of Nomination must be filed by the Maryland Green Party by August 1, 2016.
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Note: the requirements below have been established by the Maryland State Board of Elections and are copied here for informational purposes. Any questions regarding the requirements below should be directed to the Maryland State Board of Elections at 410-269-2840 or 1-800-222-8683.
In order for a non-principal political party candidate to be placed on the General Election ballot on November 8, 2016, there are two major filing deadlines that must be met.
Deadline #1 – Friday, July 1, 2016 by 5:00p.m.
Declaration of Intent
A Declaration of Intent designating the individual as a candidate seeking the nomination of the political party to an elective office must be filed in person at the appropriate election office. This action alone does not qualify a candidate for the General Election ballot.
Statement of Organization
At the time of filing the Certificate of Candidacy, a candidate for State or local office is also required to have established an authorized candidate campaign committee. This must be established prior to conducting any campaign finance activity.
Deadline #2 – Monday, August 1, 2016 by 5:00p.m.
The deadline to file the Financial Disclosure Statement, Certificate of Nomination, Certificate of Candidacy and filing fee are not required to be in person, however, they must be received by the election office by the deadline, and postmarks will not be accepted.
Certificate of Nomination
The appropriate election office must receive official documentation, executed pursuant to the party’s constitution and/or by-laws, indicating the candidate’s nomination to the office sought. This document may come directly from the political party to the appropriate election office. If the appropriate election office does not receive the Certificate of Nomination, the candidate does not qualify for the ballot.
Financial Disclosure Form
A Financial Disclosure Form is required for all State and local candidates. The Financial Disclosure Form is to be filed with the controlling agency; however, it is the policy of the election boards to accept the form when a candidate files for office. The form covers the previous calendar year (not the current year in which the candidate files). It is important to note that a candidate for a state office and various county offices are required to have the financial disclosure form notarized. If the form is not notarized, it will be deemed not filed and the candidate will not appear on the General Election ballot. If filing for a judicial office, the candidate must file an original and one copy, otherwise it also will be deemed not filed. A candidate may file a receipt as proof if the candidate previously filed a financial disclosure form for the calendar year required for the candidacy. For additional information about filing the financial disclosure, please contact the appropriate controlling agency.
Filing Fee
Filing fees depend upon the office sought. The fee must be paid either by check, money order or cash. It is permissible for a state or local candidate’s campaign finance entity to pay the fee. If filing by mail, it is not recommended to send cash.
After filing the required documents and payment of the fees, the Declaration of Intent automatically becomes the Certificate of Candidacy, making the candidate eligible to be placed on the General Election ballot.