§ 1-101. Definitions
West's Annotated Code of MarylandElection LawEffective: June 1, 2023
Effective: June 1, 2023
MD Code, Election Law, § 1-101
Formerly cited as MD CODE Art. 33, § 1-101; MD CODE Art. 33, § 13-401; MD CODE Art. 33, § 13-402; MD CODE Art. 33, § 13-501; MD CODE Art. 33, § 13-502
§ 1-101. Definitions
(a) In this article the following words have the meanings indicated unless a different meaning is clearly intended from the context.
(b-1) “Address confidentiality program” means the Address Confidentiality Program administered by the Secretary of State under Title 7, Subtitle 3 of the State Government Article.
(b-2) “Administrative policy affecting voting rights” means any action relating to voter registration, provisional voting, absentee voting, or the location of a polling place or early voting center.
(c) “Authorized candidate campaign committee” means a political committee established under Title 13 of this article and authorized by a candidate to promote the candidate's candidacy.
(d)(1) “Ballot” or “official ballot” includes:
(d-1) “Ballot drop box” means a secure, durable, and weatherproof container that is officially designated by a local board or the State Board exclusively for voters to deposit election-related materials in person, including:
(e) “Ballot face” means a single side of a sheet on which are printed some or all of the contests to be voted on by a voter.
(f) “Ballot issue committee” means a political committee that is formed to promote the success or defeat of a question or prospective question to be submitted to a vote at an election.
(g) “Ballot style” means a unique aggregation of contests that make up the ballot for a particular group of voters identified by common characteristics of residence location, party affiliation, or both.
(h) “Campaign finance entity” means a political committee established under Title 13 of this article.
(i) “Campaign finance report” means a report, statement, affidavit, or other document that is:
(j) “Campaign manager” means a person designated by a candidate, or the candidate's representative, to exercise general overall responsibility for the conduct of the candidate's political campaign.
(k)(1) “Campaign material” means any material that:
(l)(1) “Candidate” means an individual who files a certificate of candidacy for a public or party office.
(l-1)(1) “Central committee” means a political committee for a political party established under Title 4 of this article.
(m)(1) “Contest” means:
(n) “Continuing political committee” means a political committee that is permitted to continue in existence from year to year.
(o)(1) “Contribution” means the gift or transfer, or promise of gift or transfer, of money or other thing of value to a campaign finance entity to:
(3) “Contribution” does not include the costs associated with the establishment, administration, or solicitation of voluntary contributions to a political action committee established by a corporation, limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, membership organization, trade association, cooperative, or corporation without capital stock as long as the political action committee only solicits contributions from employees of the organization that established the political action committee, or members of the organization that established the political action committee, and the employees or members are participating in a payroll deduction program established by the employer of the employee or member.
(r)(1) “Distributor” means a person engaged for profit in the distribution of campaign material by hand delivery or direct mail.
(s)(1) “Document ballot” means a ballot used with a voting system in which the voter individually is issued a ballot on which to indicate one or more votes.
(t) “Driver's license” includes an identification card issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
(v)(1) “Election” means the process by which voters cast votes on one or more contests under the laws of this State or the United States.
(w) “Election cycle” means the period that begins on the January 1 that follows a gubernatorial election and continues until the December 31 that is 4 years later.
(x) “Election register” means the list of voters eligible to vote:
(y) “Electronic signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.
(z) “Electronic storage format” means a computer disk or other information storage and retrieval medium approved by the State Board.
(aa) “Expenditure” means a gift, transfer, disbursement, or promise of money or a thing of value by or on behalf of a campaign finance entity to:
(aa-1) “Historically disenfranchised communities” means racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups that have historically been subject to voter suppression efforts.
(bb)(1) “Independent expenditure” means a gift, transfer, disbursement, or promise of money or a thing of value by a person expressly advocating the success or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or ballot issue if the gift, transfer, disbursement, or promise of money or a thing of value is not made in coordination, cooperation, consultation, understanding, agreement, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign finance entity of a candidate, an agent of a candidate, or a ballot issue committee.
(bb-1) “Institution of higher education” has the meaning stated in § 10-101 of the Education Article.
(bb-2) “Legislative party caucus committee” means a political committee that is established to promote the election of candidates of a single political party to one of the two Houses of the General Assembly.
(dd) “Majority party” means the political party to which the incumbent Governor belongs, if the incumbent Governor is a member of a principal political party. If the incumbent Governor is not a member of one of the two principal political parties, “majority party” means the principal political party whose candidate for Governor received the highest number of votes of any party candidate at the last preceding general election.
(dd-1) “Online platform” means any public-facing website, web application, or digital application, including a social network, ad network, or search engine, that:
(ee) “Partisan organization” means a combination of two or more individuals formed for the purpose of organizing a new political party.
(ff) “Political action committee” means a political committee that is not:
(gg) “Political committee” means a combination of two or more individuals that has as its major purpose promoting the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, question, or prospective question submitted to a vote at any election.
(hh) “Political party” means an organized group that is qualified as a political party in accordance with Title 4 of this article.
(hh-1) “Polling place” means a physical space inside a building where in-person voting is conducted on election day.
(ii) “Precinct” includes:
(ii-1) “Precinct polling place” means a polling place designated to serve a precinct.
(jj) “Principal minority party” means the principal political party whose candidate for Governor received the second highest number of votes of any party candidate at the last preceding general election.
(kk) “Principal political parties” means the majority party and the principal minority party.
(ll) “Provisional ballot” means a ballot that is cast by an individual but not counted until the individual's qualifications to vote have been confirmed by the local board.
(ll-1) “Qualifying paid digital communication” means any electronic communication that:
(mm) “Responsible officers” means the chairman and treasurer of a political committee.
(nn) “Sample ballot” means a facsimile of a ballot used for informational purposes by a person or entity other than a local board.
(oo) “Slate” means a political committee of two or more candidates who join together to conduct and pay for joint campaign activities.
(pp) “Specimen ballot” means a facsimile of a ballot used by a local board to provide notice to registered voters of the contents of the ballot.
(ss) “Transfer” means a monetary contribution that is made by one campaign finance entity to another campaign finance entity, other than one made by or to a political club.
(tt) “Treasurer” means an individual appointed in accordance with Title 13, Subtitle 2 of this article.
(vv) “Voting machine” includes:
(ww) “Voting machine ballot” means a ballot posted on or in the voting machine and referred to by the voter to indicate the voting locations for each contest.
(yy) “Write-in candidate” means an individual whose name will not appear on the ballot but who files a certificate of candidacy in accordance with § 5-303 of this article.
Credits
Added as Art. 33, § 1-101, by Acts 1998, c. 585, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 1998, c. 585, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 1999; Acts 2000, c. 523, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 1, 2000; Acts 2001, c. 424, §§ 1, 2, eff. June 1, 2001; Acts 2002, c. 404, § 1, eff. June 1, 2002. Transferred to Election Law § 1-101 by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2003; Acts 2002, c. 404, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, c. 379, §§ 1, 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Acts 2004, c. 19, § 1, eff. July 1, 2004; Acts 2005, c. 25, § 1, eff. April 12, 2005; Acts 2005, c. 572, §§ 1, 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, c. 510, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2007, c. 159, §§ 1, 2, eff. July 1, 2007; Acts 2008, c. 543, § 1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2009, c. 445, §§ 1, 2, 3, eff. Oct. 1, 2009; Acts 2011, c. 287, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2011; Acts 2011, c. 575, § 1, eff. Dec. 1, 2011; Acts 2013, c. 419, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2015; Acts 2013, c. 419, § 3 eff. Oct. 1, 2013; Acts 2016, c. 287, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2016, c. 725, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2016; Acts 2016, c. 726, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2016; Acts 2017, c. 441, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 786, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 851, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2017, c. 852, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2017; Acts 2018, c. 833, § 1, eff. July 1, 2018; Acts 2018, c. 834, § 1, eff. July 1, 2018; Acts 2019, c. 554, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019; Acts 2019, c. 555, § 1, eff. July 1, 2019; Acts 2020, c. 110, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 56, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 124, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 514, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 656, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 657, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 624, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 625, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022; Acts 2023, c. 49, § 6; Acts 2023, c. 221, § 1, eff. June 1, 2023.
MD Code, Election Law, § 1-101, MD ELEC LAW § 1-101
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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