While I am amused that even some elected officials - who of all people should know how to correctly fill out petitions - had their signatures rejected, this does provide an example of how overly technical requirements prevent voters from exercising their right to petition laws to referendum. And I say this even though I support the law they are seeking to petition to referendum.

Can anyone provide a link so that I can sign the petition?

https://mdpetitions.com/

https://mdpetitions.com/adopt

Here ya go.
Tomorrow is deadline.
Circulate please!

It is really surprising how many petitions are being thrown out on what are essentially technicalities. There are huge numbers of "page format" and "name standard" issues, compared to very few where the reason is that the person isn't registered to vote. People have the intent to be included, yet are being disenfranchised by the process. The process should be designed to minimize disenfranchisement as much as possible, rather than maximize it, as seems to be the case here.

I wonder if you are rejected whether you are advised, or they found out some other way.
That would be a real bite if I found out I was rejected and never told.

Thanks C and Duke.

List of names is here: http://delegatemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/petition-rejections.pdf

Ctrl+F to find out if yours or others you know were rejected for a technicality.

@Karen

You mean how Gore would have won Florida if all those "intended" votes counted?

haha. The law is the law, right repubs?

TY Matt.
That ain't good and it just ain't right.
I know at least 30-40% of the names rejected in my county!
I'm gonna call a couple and see if they know they were rejected.

Sorry Carl, I'm a registered Democrat and have been for 40 years.
I vote conscience, not party-affiliation!
So, drop the party lines.

The real story is that elected officials can't follow simple instructions.

I have no sympathy for those rejected petition signers. This is a very formal and technical process for a reason, and "good enough" doesn't cut it when it comes to following directions. If one is unable to follow the proper directions then perhaps it's best if one is not included in the process.

I am always amused when folk complain that something happens ( defendant is fount not guilty ... or a petition signature is rejected) "because of a technicality." Ours is theoretically a nation of laws. Laws are "technicalities." The Constitution is a collection of "technicalities." If we all got what we wanted "because ... well .. you know what we meant," without regard for the rules/laws, what sort of society would we be? Work to change the rules if you want, but, until then, know the rules and submit to their application.

And ... by the way ... the process by which laws enacted by our elected representatives SHOULD be difficult to overturn. It's called "representative democracy" for a reason. Opponents of this law had ample opportunity to lobby their elected officials before the bill was passed. The majority prevailed.

So very easy to become a registered voter, and yet so difficult to create a law upon which to vote. This should be a lesson to anyone who continually misstates that we are a Democracy.
We are a Republic, where we vote officials into office who then vote on the laws, and it seems that they want to keep their power!

Het Duke.....When have you voted other than DEMOCRAP......Or do you only have a socialist conscience.? It's you that needs to drop the comunist party lines.

To follow up, I called several people I know who's names appeared on the subject Petition's rejected list within my county.
None of them have been advised that their signatures were rejected.
All of them were rejected under the "Name Standard" category.
After reading the MD Board of Elections criteria, and some recent legal decisions affecting petition signatures, it is more than obvious that they either did not include their middle initial or middle name, or they did include them, but, they were not listed as such in the BoE files.
This is a crock and major stumbling block to any petition drive whether I support it or not.

If your signature gets rejected you can not sign again. The Board of Elections will reject it on the basis of it being a duplicate.

Sorry Duke, it's not the rank-and-file, but it is the dominant one-party that wants to hold down petition drives because they control ever facet of governance.

This whole ordeal has shown how stupid the BOE rules are. Invalidating forms because they can't clearly decipher your signature (not printed name)? Evidently you must now sign the way they wish even when they sign scribbles that they mail to you.

This state is a joke.

Maryland We Love you Liberals and is just why South and North Carolina is shipping you all our illegals.They got to go people here are getting millitant about the problem.So we have no jobs for citizens whom are legal,but pay for illegals bus ticket to Maryland.Word on the street is there is plenty of free cash State and Federal for illegals in Maryland

"Het Duke.....When have you voted other than DEMOCRAP......Or do you only have a socialist conscience.? It's you that needs to drop the comunist party lines. Posted by: Anonymous | June 29, 2011 8:05 PM"

Lemme see if you can understand.
In MD, in order to vote in the Primary Election, you must be a registered Dem or Rep.
As a registered Dem the only option I have is the Dem ticket in the Primary.
I use that vote to cast dissenting votes against incumbents, if I choose, or to vote for a Dem that I might at least have some respect for.
In the General Election I am able to cross party lines and vote Dem, Rep, Soc, Comm, Green, whatever; again, my conscience.

So no, I am far from a straight line, brain-dead, easily-swayed, party-affiliation voter.

Soooo, get educated, not just matriculated.

Interesting how dead people can vote in Baltimore, and you may not be required to produce valid id to vote, but if you forget or add your middle name or initial to a petition you can be disqualified AND unable to resubmit it with corrections. Sound FUBAR to me.

For those who agree with the election board standard of review I hope you will support efforts to assure no illegals vote. Especially in 2012 when the referendum will be on the ballot. Montgomery and PG County elected officials along with casa de maryland pander to illegals instead of advising them it is illegal for them to vote. Many, not all, Democrats have blocked efforts to prevent illegals from voting. I wonder why.