EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0707*
HOUSE BILL 707
G1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2lr0666
HB 481/21 – W&M CF SB 88
By: Delegates Barve and Stein
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2022
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Deadline for Selection of Lieutenant Governor 2
FOR the purpose of altering the timeline for and requirements related to the selection of a 3
candidate for Lieutenant Governor by a candidate for Governor. 4
BY proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution 5
Article II – Executive Department 6
Section 1B 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
(Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses concurring), That it be 9
proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 10
Article II – Executive Department 11
1B. 12
[Each candidate who shall seek a nomination for Governor, under any method 13
provided by law for such nomination, including primary elections, shall at the time of filing 14
for said office designate a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and the names of the said 15
candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be listed on the primary election 16
ballot, or otherwise considered for nomination jointly with each other.] 17
(A) A CANDIDATE WHO SEEKS A NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR IN A 18
PRIMARY ELECTION SHA LL DESIGNATE A CANDI DATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 19 2 HOUSE BILL 707
WITHIN 21 DAYS AFTER THE PRIMA RY ELECTION. 1
(B) A CANDIDATE WHO SEEKS A NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR UNDER ANY 2
METHOD PROVIDED BY L AW OTHER THAN A PRIM ARY ELECTION SHALL D ESIGNATE 3
A CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AT THE TIME OF FILING A 4
DECLARATION OF INTENT TO SEEK NO MINATION, AND THE CANDIDATE FO R 5
GOVERNOR AND THE DESI GNATED CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 6
SHALL BE CONSIDERED FOR NOMINATION JOINT LY. 7
(C) (1) No candidate for Governor may designate a candidate for Lieutenant 8
Governor [to contest for the said offices jointly with him] without the consent of the [said] 9
candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and no candidate for Lieutenant Governor may 10
designate a candidate for Governor[, to contest jointly for said offices with him] without 11
the consent of the [said] candidate for Governor[, said consent to be in writing on a form 12
provided for such purpose and filed at the time the said candidates shall file their 13
certificates of candidacy, or other documents by which they seek nomination]. 14
(2) A CANDIDATE SHALL PROVIDE C ONSENT UNDER THIS 15
SUBSECTION IN WRITIN G AT THE TIME OF FIL ING A CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY OR 16
A DECLARATION OF INT ENT. 17
(D) In [any] A GENERAL election, [including a primary election,] candidates for 18
Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be listed jointly on the ballot, and a vote cast for 19
the candidate for Governor shall also be cast for THE CANDIDATE FOR Lieutenant 20
Governor jointly listed on the ballot with [him, and] the CANDIDATE F OR GOVERNOR. 21
(E) IN A PRIMARY ELECTION : 22
(1) THE NAME OF THE CANDI DATE FOR GOVERNOR SHALL BE LIS TED 23
ON THE PRIMARY ELECT ION BALLOT WITHOUT A CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT 24
GOVERNOR; AND 25
(2) THE CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SHALL FILE A 26
CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY AT THE TIM E THE CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT 27
GOVERNOR IS DESIGNATE D BY THE CANDIDATE F OR GOVERNOR. 28
(F) THE election of THE Governor, or the nomination of a candidate for Governor, 29
also shall constitute the election for the same term, or the nomination, of the Lieutenant 30
Governor who was listed on the ballot or was being considered jointly with [him] THE 31
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. 32
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 33
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 34
Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 35 HOUSE BILL 707 3
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 1
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That th e amendment to the 2
Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 3
voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2022 for adoption or 4
rejection pursuant to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general election, 5
the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on each 6
ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment” and “Against 7
the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the election, 8
all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 9
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 10
proceedings had in accordance with Article XIV. 11
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.