On July 15, Maryland elections officials announced that a statewide referendum had qualified for the 2012 ballot. Maryland does not have the statewide initiative process, but it does have procedures for statewide referendums. Proponents need a petition signed by 3% of the registered voters.
The particular referendum that qualified asks the voters if they wish to repeal the “Dream Act”, which lets long-time residents of Maryland receive the in-state tuition rate even if they are illegal aliens. This is the first statewide referendum to qualify in Maryland in 20 years. Proponents make extensive use of the internet. No one could sign the petition electronically, but individuals could download the petition form and circulate it. Thirty percent of all the signatures on the petition were gathered that way.
I heard about a statewide referendum petition in Maryland back in 2006 that had something to do with early voting. I thought that one qualified for the ballot.
Pending 100 percent security for internet signing —
3 x 5 cards/form
I want the [ABC] issue [const amdt, law, referendum, recall] on the [date] ballots.
Elector Signature
Printed Name
Address
Date signed
i.e. put the form in your local friendly surviving newspaper (if any).
Democracy NOW — before it is too late.
The EVIL left/right party hack ANTI-Democracy gerrymander oligarch MONSTERS have set the stage for Civil W-A-R II.
I think Andy is right…
That’s a lot of signatures! With that kind of voter activism, I suspect that the exposed state legislators who implemented DREAM will be running for their lives next year. Good riddance!
Whooeee that is cool. Best of luck to the petitioners.
Here’s a research project: In which states such a process would be possible? In some states petitions require notarization by the circulator, or at least require the circulator to sign that they were present when the signature was received. In this Maryland situation, no circulator was present at all — people were mailing in their signatures, one by one.