The short version
Maryland holds partisan primaries. Most party candidates file a Certificate of Candidacy and pay a filing fee that depends on the office; unaffiliated and minor-party candidates instead qualify by petition for the general election.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide (Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller); the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates; county and municipal offices; and judicial seats.
- How to get on the ballot
- File a Certificate of Candidacy and a Financial Disclosure statement with the appropriate election office and pay the filing fee for the office. Petition candidates file a petition with the required signatures — a statewide unaffiliated candidate needs 10,000. Documents and the fee may be mailed but must be received by the deadline (postmarks don't count).
- Who runs candidate filing
- Maryland State Board of Elections — Candidacy & Campaign Finance
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office — the official Maryland resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Official Maryland candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. Maryland is fully available — see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Maryland race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors" — voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.