618                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 181

of candidacy is a final act of withdrawal; and a person who files
such a certificate of withdrawal may not reinstate his candidacy,
unless the time limit for the filing of candidacies has not expired.
No filing fees shall be refunded to persons who withdraw in accord-
ance with this section, subject, however, to § 4A-7 of this article.

(2) Board offices shall be open and certificates of withdrawal of
candidacy shall be accepted until nine (9) p.m. on the last day for
withdrawing.

§ 12-2. Primary election for candidate for President and delegates
to national convention.

(a) Manner of becoming candidate for nomination for President;
withdrawal of candidacy.—Any person who is a candidate for the
nomination of a party which must nominate candidates for State
public office by means of primary elections under the provisions of
this article, for the office of President of the United States, and who
desires to obtain the vote of the delegates from Maryland of the party
in its national convention, may become a candidate for nomination
in primary elections to be held in accordance with the provisions of
this article only:

(1)   By direction of the Secretary of State who shall place the
name of the candidate upon the ballot no sooner than 70 days nor
later than 53 days preceding the date set by law for the primary
election when he has determined in his sole discretion that the candi-
date's candidacy is generally advocated or recognized in national
news media throughout the United States, unless the candidate
executes and files with the Secretary of State an affidavit stating
without qualification that he is not and does not intend to become a
candidate for the office at the forthcoming election;

(2)  By making the payment required and by filing with the State
Administrative Board of Election Laws, a petition in the form pre-
scribed by the State Administrative Board of Election Laws which
shall contain the signatures of not less than 400 of the registered
voters within each congressional district, at least 53 days preceding
the date set by law for the primary election. Nothing in this section
shall require compliance with § 7-1.

(3)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article, whenever
any person who has been nominated in any presidential primary elec-
tion, in a writing signed by him and acknowledged before a [justice
of the peace or] notary public, notifies the officer or board with whom
the certificate of candidacy, or petition for nomination, or name is
required to be filed by this article, at least forty-five (45) days be-
fore the primary that he desires to withdraw as a candidate for the
nomination, his name shall be withdrawn and the name of any per-
son so withdrawing shall not be printed upon the ballots to be used at
the presidential primary election. The filing of a valid certificate of
withdrawal of candidacy is a final act of withdrawal; and a person
who files a certificate of withdrawal may not reinstate his candi-
dacy, unless the time limit for the filing of candidacies has not ex-
pired. No filing fees shall be refunded to persons who withdraw in ac-
cordance with this section, subject, however, to § 4A-7 of this article.
Nothing in this section shall apply to a candidate who qualifies under
§12-2 (a) (1).