1104

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 135

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 33 — Election Code

4B-1.

(a)    Any group of voters wishing to form a new
political party shall do so by filing with the State
Administrative Board of Election Laws a petition for
formation of a political party which shall declare their
intention of organizing a State political party, the name of
which shall be stated in the petition together with the name
and address of the State chairman thereof and the names and
addresses of at least twenty—five persons who shall be
designated as constituting the governing body of the party.
Appended to the petition IN THE MANNER HEREINAFTER PROVIDED
shall be papers bearing the signatures of at least ten
thousand qualified voters of the State[, in the manner
hereafter provided]. IF, AFTER VERIFICATION AS REQUIRED BY
THIS SECTION, THE TOTAL REQUIRED NUMBER OF SIGNATURES OF
QUALIFIED VOTERS IS NOT PROPERLY APPENDED TO THE PETITION,
ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES MAY BE FILED. HOWEVER, ALL OF THE
SIGNATURES, INCLUDING ANY ADDED AFTER THE INITIAL FILING,
MUST HAVE BEEN AFFIXED TO THE APPENDED PAPERS NOT MORE THAN
TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE FILING DATE OF THE LAST QUALIFYING
SIGNATURE, AND NO VOTER'S SIGNATURE MAY BE COUNTED MORE THAN
ONCE.

(b)    [The signatures shall not be appended to one
paper but] THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD OF ELECTION LAWS
SHALL PRESCRIBE THE FORM OF PETITIONS FILED UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE. THE SIGNATURES shall be on
separate papers, bearing one or more signatures, and being
no more than 8 1/2 inches in width and 14 inches in length.
Each paper shall contain the names of persons residing only
in one county or only in the City of Baltimore. Each signer
shall append to his signature his residence, THE DATE OF
SIGNING and the name of the county or city where he is
registered as a voter, and immediately below the signature
of any signer there shall be either printed or typed the
name of the signer. Every paper shall be accompanied by an
affidavit or affidavits which state that the signers, TO THE
BEST KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF OF THE AFFIANT OR AFFIANTS, are
registered voters of the county or city as set forth in the
petition and that the affiant or affiants witnessed the
application of each signature to the paper ON THE DATE
NOTED OPPOSITE HIS SIGNATURE. The affidavits shall be [made
before a notary public or other officer authorized to take
oaths under the laws of this State by one or more persons
known personally to the notary public or other official, and
it shall be so certified.] SIGNED UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY.

(e) If the total required number of signatures is not
properly appended to the petition for formation of a
political party[,] WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD ALLOWED BY
SUBSECTION (A), it shall be declared insufficient by the