Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at 9:00 pm is the new deadline for an individual to file as a candidate for the upcoming 2022 Primary Election. Under State law, an individual must file a Certificate of Candidacy by 9:00 pm on the last Tuesday in February in the year in which the primary election will be held; however, due to the court challenges to the congressional and legislative maps the deadline has been extended by a month.
The filing location depends on the office sought. All federal and state candidates file a Certificate of Candidacy at the State Board of Elections (SBE), located at 151 West Street, Annapolis, MD. Local candidates in Frederick County file at the Frederick County Board of Elections, located at 340A Montevue Lane, Frederick, MD. Candidates filing at the Frederick office must make an appointment. County offices are closed to the public and walk-ins cannot be accommodated.
In addition to filing the Certificate of Candidacy, all candidates must pay a filing fee at the appropriate board of elections. State and local candidates must also provide evidence that the candidate has filed a financial disclosure statement and established a candidate committee at SBE. Candidates for Central Committee are not required to establish an authorized candidate campaign committee if the candidate spends $1,000.00 or less in personal funds on the election and receives no contributions. Candidates that filed a Certificate of Candidacy prior to January 1, 2022 must file a new financial disclosure statement with the appropriate ethics agency prior to March 22, 2022. Failure to meet any of the requirements prior to the deadlines will invalidate the Certificate of Candidacy and remove the individual from the ballot.
The 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, and the 2022 Gubernatorial General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
Additional election-related dates and forms are available at www.elections.maryland.gov. For more information, contact the Frederick County Board of Elections at 301-600-VOTE (8683) or ElectionBoard@FrederickCountyMD.gov or the State Board of Elections at 1-800-222-VOTE (8683).
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