ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Court of Appeals of Maryland has issued an order moving the primary election to July 19.
The primaries were originally supposed to take place on June 28, but legal challenges have piled up related to the newly drawn legislative maps.
Here is a list of the new deadlines now in effect, due to the court's order.
Candidate Deadlines:
- The deadline for filing certificates of candidacy, established pursuant to Election Law Article (“EL”) § 5-303, is extended to Friday, April 15, 2022 at 9:00 p.m.;
- The deadline for candidates to withdraw a certificate of candidacy, established pursuant to EL § 5-502(a), is extended to Monday, April 18, 2022;
- The deadline to fill a vacancy in candidacy for a primary election, established pursuant to EL § 5-901, is extended to Wednesday, April 20, 2022;
- The deadline to challenge a candidate’s residency, established pursuant to EL § 5‑305, is extended to Thursday, April 21, 2022.
Voter Deadlines:
- The deadline to register to vote in the primary election has also changed to June 28.
- Voters now have until July 12 to request a mail-in ballot.
- The start of early voting is moved to July 7, ending on July 14.
The State Board of Elections responded to the ruling by issuing this statement.
“We continue to work with the local boards to review any possible logistical issues resulting from the change to the election calendar, including the availability of early voting centers and election day polling places, recruitment of election judges for early voting and election day, and equipment allocation."
Candidates who have filed for the Governor's race have also issued remarks on the delay.
A spokesperson for the Peter Franchot campaign emailed us the below statement.
“The campaign was prepared for this decision and we are well positioned. We will continue to build on our large grassroots coalition of support, share our vision for a better quality of life for all Marylanders, and work to make sure voters across the state know about the new election dates so everyone has an opportunity to participate in this election.”
- Peter Franchot Campaign
And a spokesperson for Tom Perez's campaign emailed us their statement on the delay.
"As someone who helped enforce voting rights across our country under President Obama at the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, I understand that courts need adequate opportunity to carefully review these cases. Our campaign is excited to now have even more opportunity to share our vision to bring jobs, justice and opportunity to every Marylander in every jurisdiction of our great state. We remain confident in that work and look forward to coming together as a party to ensure we flip Maryland blue this November."
- Tom Perez Campaign
Robin Ficker called us back to say that he's worried about an omission in the order, referring to when absentee ballots will be mailed out, but is excited to get more time to campaign on the boardwalk in Ocean City.
"There's no other place in Maryland where you can meet people [from all over the state]." he said.
Joe Werner tells WMAR-2 News he's "disappointed" because he believes it will cause confusion.
Werner added, "But with the redistricting problems we have in the state, I think it's fairer."
John King released the following statement:
“I respect the decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals to delay the primary election and I look forward to continuing to share my vision for our state’s future with Maryland voters.”
- John King Campaign
Ashwani Jain's campaign sent us the below statement:
"The decision by the Maryland Court of Appeals to delay the 2022 primaries from June 28 to July 19 is a win-win for Marylanders. It simultaneously guarantees that newly redrawn district lines are adequately reviewed to ensure they're equitable for all voters in our state, while also giving Maryland residents more time to both register to vote and to research candidates on the ballot. From a more personal standpoint, the increased time will enable our campaign to reach even more voters and expand our historic outreach efforts."
- Ashwani Jain Campaign
Dan Cox's campaign emailed us the following statement Tuesday evening:
“I urge the Court of Appeals to end gerrymandering in Maryland. This short delay in the primary should move us toward that good goal in the cases before the Court.”
- Dan Cox Campaign
A spokesperson from Douglas Gansler's campaign emailed us a statement Tuesday night:
"We need to make it easier for people to vote, not harder, and we need people to trust the political process. Moving the goalposts of Election Day breeds confusion and cynicism and will likely lead to lower voter participation."
- Douglas Gansler Campaign
Jerome Segal sent us this statement on Wednesday morning:
"From the narrow perspective of my campaign, the delay works in our favor. We have a unique and terrific message, but I am not well known. We were among the last to enter the campaign and are slowly moving towards public funding. So having more time for voters to understand what bread and roses socialism is, works to our advantage."
- Jerome Segal campaign
Ralph Jaffe provided this comment on the Court's decision to move the election, "the decision to move the election is further evidence of how corrupt the Maryland State Legislature is. "
We will continue to update this story as more details become available.
