EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0088*
SENATE BILL 88
G1 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2lr0668
HB 481/21 – W&M (PRE–FILED) CF 2lr0666
By: Senator Pinsky
Requested: October 6, 2021
Introduced and read first time: January 12, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
A BILL ENTITLED
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
WITHIN 21 DAYS AFTER T HE PRIMARY ELECTION . 20
(B) A CANDIDATE WHO SEEKS A NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR UNDER ANY 21
METHOD PROVIDED BY L AW OTHER THAN A PRIM ARY ELECTION SHALL D ESIGNATE 22 2 SENATE BILL 88
A CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AT THE TIME OF FILING A 1
DECLARATION OF INTEN T TO SEEK NOMINATION , AND THE CANDIDATE FO R 2
GOVERNOR AND THE DESI GNATED CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR 3
SHALL BE CONSIDERED FOR NOMINATION JOINT LY. 4
(C) (1) No candidate for Governor may designate a candidate for Lieutenant 5
Governor [to contest for the said offices jointly with him] without the consent of the [said] 6
candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and no candidate for Lieutenant Governor may 7
designate a candidate for Governor[, to contest jointly for said offices with him] without 8
the consent of the [said] candidate for Governor[, said consent to be in writing on a form 9
provided for such purpose and filed at the time the said candidates shall file their 10
certificates of candidacy, or other documents by which they seek nomination]. 11
(2) A CANDIDATE SHALL PROV IDE CONSENT UND ER THIS 12
SUBSECTION IN WRITIN G AT THE TIME OF FIL ING A CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY OR 13
A DECLARATION OF INT ENT. 14
(D) In [any] A GENERAL election, [including a primary election,] candidates for 15
Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be listed jointly on the ballot, and a vote cast for 16
the candidate for Governor shall also be cast for THE CANDIDATE FOR Lieutenant 17
Governor jointly listed on the ballot with [him, and] the CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. 18
(E) IN A PRIMARY ELECTION : 19
(1) THE NAME OF THE CANDI DATE FOR GOVERNOR SHALL BE LIS TED 20
ON THE PRIMARY ELECT ION BALLOT WITHOUT A CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT 21
GOVERNOR; AND 22
(2) THE CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SHALL FILE A 23
CERTIFICATE OF CANDI DACY AT THE TIME THE CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT 24
GOVERNOR IS DESIGNATE D BY THE CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. 25
(F) THE election of THE Governor, or the nomination of a candidate for Governor, 26
also shall constitute the election for the same term, or the nomination, of the Lieutenant 27
Governor who was listed on the ballot or was being considered jointly with [him] THE 28
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 30
determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this 31
Act affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the Maryland 32
Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not apply. 33
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the amendment to the 34
Maryland Constitution proposed by Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to the qualified 35
voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November 2022 for adoption or 36 SENATE BILL 88 3
rejection pursuant to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. At that general election, 1
the vote on the proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be by ballot, and on each 2
ballot there shall be printed the words “For the Constitutional Amendment” and “Against 3
the Constitutional Amendment”, as now provided by law. Immediately after the election, 4
all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote for and against the proposed 5
amendment, as directed by Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further 6
proceedings had in accordance with Article XIV. 7