Maryland is one of the few states that requires a statewide independent candidate to submit more signatures than are needed for an entire new party. Maryland requires 10,000 signatures for a new party but a petition of 1% of the number of registered voters for a statewide independent candidate. This year statewide independents in Maryland need 34,713 signatures.

On June 25, S. Rob Sobhani filed approximately 77,000 signatures in order to be on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate. He is an expert on the Middle East and has written two books. His web page is robsobhani.com. That is not a campaign web page, just a personal web page with information about him. Thanks to Bob Johnston for this news.

The State Board of Elections has had to work very hard on validating this petition. The validation process is still not complete. If the petition is valid, Sobhani will be the first statewide independent candidate to qualify since Ross Perot in 1992.