1318                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 560

Presidential Primaries and Conventions
12-1.

(a)    The total number of delegates and alternate delegates to
represent the respective political parties at their respective national
conventions shall be ascertained and determined by the governing
body of each party and certified to the Secretary of State not later
than the first day of March in each year in which national conven-
tions for the nomination of President and Vice President are held.
The selection of delegates shall be as follows:

(1) Election of delegates. Of the number of delegates allotted to
Maryland there shall be elected from each congressional district an
equal number of district delegates from the list of candidates certified
to the boards by the Secretary of State. In ascertaining the number
of delegates to be elected from each congressional district, the Sec-
retary of State shall determine the highest whole number that can be
multiplied by the current number of congressional districts in Mary-
land to obtain a product closest to 60% 75% of the delegates allotted to
Maryland by the respective national party committee. EACH DELE-
GATE MAY HAVE PLACED ADJACENT TO HIS NAME ON
THE BALLOT THE NAME OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDI-
DATE, PROVIDED THAT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF
THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HAS BEEN RECEIVED
BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AT LEAST 53 DAYS
PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE PRIMARY ELECTION.

(2) Election of delegates by Party Convention. After the cal-
culation of the number of elected district delegates, the State con-
vention of any national major political party shall elect the delegates
at large and their alternates in accordance with the lawful rules and
practices of the political party.

(3) Selection of alternates for elected delegates. The elected
delegation to the national party convention shall select their alter-
nates.

(4) Filling of Vacancies. The entire delegation to a national
party convention shall fill vacancies occurring in the office of delegate
or alternate delegate.

(b)    All the ELECTED delegates to a national convention shall be
bound to vote for the candidate of their party for the office of Presi-
dent of the United States who receives the highest number of votes
WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
at the primary election, AND THE DELEGATES ELECTED BY
A STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE PARTY CONVENTION AS
HEREIN PROVIDED SHALL BE BOUND TO VOTE FOR THE
CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVES THE HIGHEST TOTAL NUMBER
OF VOTES AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION IN THE STATE until
the candidate for President of the United States is nominated by the
convention, receives less than 35 percent of the votes for nomination
by the convention, or releases the delegation, or until two convention
nominating ballots have been taken.

12-2.

(a) Any person who is a candidate for