HARRY HUGHES, Governor

641

(a) [A] EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR A CANDIDATE
FOR A COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, A candidate for any public
office who is registered as an independent or who is a
member of or affiliated with a partisan organization which
is not a political party as defined in this article or who
is not a member of a political party whose nominees must be
nominated by means of primary elections, may be nominated by
petition, as in this section provided. [Nothing in this
subsection applies to candidates or nominations for election
to county boards of education.]

[(b) A candidate for public office seeking nomination
by petition shall file a certificate of candidacy under the
provisions of the subtitle "Certificate of Candidacy" of
this article with a sworn statement attached that he has on
file with the election board or the several boards of the
State petitions signed by not less than three per centum
(3%) of the registered voters who are eligible to vote for
the office for which such nomination by petition is sought.
The number of registered voters shall be determined as of
the commencement of the four-month period before the primary
election for which the nomination is sought. Candidates
nominated by petition must pay the fee prescribed in § 4A-6
of this article in the same manner as candidates for
nomination at a primary election, with the filing of the
certificate of candidacy of the candidate. Such fees shall
be disposed of in the same manner as provided in § 4A-8 of
this article.]

(B)   (1) A CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE SEEKING
NOMINATION BY PETITION SHALL FILE A CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY
AT THE TIME AND PLACE AND IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SUBTITLE
4A OF THIS ARTICLE AND SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL OTHER
APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE SUBTITLE, IN THE SAME MANNER AS
CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION AT A PRIMARY ELECTION.

(2)   IN ORDER TO HAVE THE NAME OF A PROPOSED
CANDIDATE PLACED ON THE BALLOT UNDER THIS SECTION, THE
CANDIDATE SHALL FILE WITH THE APPROPRIATE BOARD PETITIONS
SIGNED BY NOT LESS THAN 3 PERCENT OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE FOR THE OFFICE FOR WHICH THE
NOMINATION BY PETITION IS SOUGHT. PETITIONS SHALL BE FILED
AS REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION.

(3)   FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE NUMBER
OF REGISTERED VOTERS SHALL BE DETERMINED AS OF THE
COMMENCEMENT OF THE 4-MONTH PERIOD BEFORE THE PRIMARY
ELECTION FOR WHICH THE NOMINATION IS SOUGHT.

(C)   (1) A PORTION OF A PETITION THAT CONTAINS AT
LEAST ONE-THIRD OF THE REQUIRED TOTAL NUMBER OF SIGNATURES
OF ELIGIBLE REGISTERED VOTERS SHALL BE FILED WITH THE
APPROPRIATE BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE FILING OF THE
CANDIDATE'S CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY.

(2) THE REMAINDER OF THE PETITION THAT CONTAINS
THE BALANCE OF THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF SIGNATURES SHALL BE