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Laws governing recall in Maryland
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Maryland allows recall of local elected government officials at the municipal level. The recall process is governed by city charters.[1] Rules for recalls in Maryland differ depending on the city.
Who may be recalled?
In Maryland, there is no right of statewide recall, either of federal or state government officials, and no ability to recall members of the Maryland State Legislature. Depending on the city charter, some local elected officials may be recalled.
Features of the law
| Can you recall a federal official? | |
| The U.S. Constitution does not provide for recall of any elected federal official. Although some state constitutions have stated that their citizens have the right to recall members of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on whether this is constitutional at the federal level. Read Ballotpedia's explanation » | |
Commencement
Regulations concerning when petitioners can initiate a recall effort against a local official vary from city to city.
For example, the Bowie city charter states, "Registered voters may file a petition with the city clerk for the recall of any councilmember or mayor with six (6) or more months remaining in his or her term."[2] A different example is the Salisbury city charter, which does not specify when petitioners can initiate a recall.[3]
Grounds for recall
Grounds for recall vary from municipality to municipality in Maryland.
Signature requirements
- See also: Maryland signature requirements
Regulations vary from city to city on signature requirements to trigger a recall election.
In Bowie, for example, "A special recall election shall be held if twenty–five percent (25%) of the registered voters, within the district of the affected councilmember or within the city for councilmembers elected at large or the mayor, have signed the petition within thirty (30) days of its filing."[2] But in Salisbury, "a petition signed by at least thirty percent (30%) of the qualified registered voters of the City of Salisbury in the case of the Mayor and thirty percent (30%) of the qualified registered voters of the Councilmember's district in the case of a Councilmember must be presented to the Mayor and City Council at a regular Council meeting."[3]
Date of recall election
Regulations vary from city to city on requirements for scheduling a recall election.
The Bowie city charter stipulates that, "The special recall election shall take place within thirty (30) days of certification of the petition."[2] In Salisbury, the charter states, "Once the results of the reaffirmation vote are certified and the majority vote is to "remove" the City Official, a special election will be held within forty-five (45) days of the certification."[3]
Ballot wording
Ballot wording requirements vary from municipality to municipality in Maryland.
See also
- Laws governing recall
- Recall campaigns in Maryland
- States that have pre-petition signature requirements for recalls
- States that require grounds for recalls
External links
Footnotes
