It’s now March 22nd.
Frederick, Md (KM) The deadline for candidates to file if they want to run in the 2022 Maryland Primary on June 28th has been extended. Frederick County Election Director Barbara Wagner says the new deadline is March 22nd at 9:00 PM. She says the deadline is usually the last Tuesday of February, but that’s been extended by one month due to the legislative and congressional district maps are being challenged in court.
“Candidates have to make sure that they’re filed in the correct districts,” she says. “And if the map changes, which it will, there will be some candidates that will be affected by those changes.” Wagner says this new deadline will give those candidates an opportunities to refile in their new districts.
“3A, 3B, 4, {Legislative Districts In Frderick County} people that have filed candidacy in those districts may see a change depending on the boundaries. And we won’t know that until we get the maps out of court,” Wagner continues.
Anyone who wants to file for a local office, such as County Council, County Executive, Sheriff, State’s Attorney or Board of Education needs to contact the local election office. “They can call the office or send us an e-mail at Board of Elections requesting a date that they would like to come and file their paperwork and filed their candidacy, and we can make an appointment for them,” she says.
Even though the indoor mask mandate has expired, Wagner says all county office buildings right now are off-limits to visitors coming in unannounced. . She says anyone who needs to come into a county building must make an appointment.
Anyone who wants to run for a state or federal office, such as Delegate, State Senator, Governor, US Senator and Congressional Representative, needs to file at the State Board of Election at 151 West Street, Annapolis, Md.
With this extension of the deadline, Wagner acknowledges that this gives her staff a shorter amount of time to get ready for the June 28th Maryland Primary. “The big different is now we have a month less. At the Board of Elections we have a month less time to get everybody’s name on the ballot, proof the ballot, make sure that ballot is correct and have it out to print,” she says.
But Wagner says she’s confident her staff is up to the challenge.
By Kevin McManus