A.
Method, hours and places of registration shall be established by
the Prince George's County Board of Elections.
B.
In addition to registration procedures established by the Prince
George's County Board of Elections, mail registration forms shall
be made available at City Hall during office hours and at such other
time and places as may be designated by the Board of Elections.
The procedure for when to register shall be as provided for
in § C-6 of the City Charter.
[Amended 12-19-2018 by Ord. No. 19-04]
To qualify as a candidate for elective office of the City, an
individual must file a nominating petition with the Board of Elections
as provided for in City Charter, § C-7B, identifying the
office sought. No person shall file a nominating petition for more
than one office in any election, nor shall a person be a candidate
for election, write-in or otherwise, to more than one office in any
election.
All candidates to be elected officials shall file financial disclosure statements in accordance with City Code § 12-6D, as provided for in City Code § 12-6D(5). The Board of Election Supervisors may not accept any certificate of candidacy unless the required financial disclosure statement has been filed in proper form.
A.
Each candidate for elective office in the City of New Carrollton
shall appoint a Campaign Treasurer who shall be a resident of the
City of New Carrollton. The appointment of a Treasurer and the acceptance
of such appointment by the Treasurer shall be on a form prescribed
by the Board of Election Supervisors and must be submitted along with
the nominating petition, affidavit and initial campaign contributions
and disbursement report.
[Amended 2-26-2021 by Ord. No. 21-08]
B.
The duties of the Campaign Treasurer shall include, but not be limited
to:
(1)
Handling all financial aspects of a campaign.
(2)
Accounting for all contributions, money or other valuable things
collected, received, or disbursed for any purpose, as all such contributions,
money or valuable things shall be paid over to and made to pass through
the hands of the Treasurer and be disbursed by the Treasurer.
(3)
Issuing receipts for any contributions in excess of fifty-one dollars
($51.) from a single source or entity. A copy thereof shall be retained
by the Treasurer.
(4)
Keeping detailed, full, accurate accounts, in a proper book or books
to be provided and preserved by the Treasurer, of all contributions
and money or valuable things received by or promised to and all expenditures,
disbursements and promises of payment or disbursements of money or
valuable things.
(5)
Filing all campaign finance reports.
C.
A candidate may not act as his or her own Treasurer or as Treasurer
for any other candidate or campaign committee in any City campaign.
D.
Neither a member of the Board of Election Supervisors nor any permanent,
part-time, or temporary employee of the Board, during such person's
tenure in office or employment, may be a candidate or Treasurer of
any candidate, combination of candidates, or campaign committee, nor
may any member or employee actively participate in a City political
campaign. Membership in a political party, without further action
in connection with a City political campaign, shall not be deemed
to be actively participating in a City political campaign.
A.
Every candidate for elected office shall file reports of campaign
contributions and disbursements. The first report is due upon filing
of a candidate's required documentation for nomination. A second report
is due the 10th day preceding the election. A third report is due
in the office of the Clerk of the City Council on the 10th day following
the election or two (2) business days prior to the candidate being
sworn in, whichever shall first occur. A final report(s), if applicable,
shall be filed six (6) months after the election, one (1) year after
the election, and annually thereafter until no cash balance, unpaid
bill, or deficit remains. Reports required to be filed shall be filed
with the Board of Election Supervisors no later than 12:00 noon on
the day that they are due.
B.
Each statement shall contain the following information:
(1)
The name and address of the candidate.
(2)
The office sought by the candidate.
(3)
The date when the statement was filed.
(4)
The name and current address of each contributor of election campaign
contributions.
(5)
The dollar amount of each contribution.
(6)
The name and current address of each disbursement.
(7)
The dollar amount of each disbursement.
(8)
Each subsequent report filed shall include information regarding
contributions received and disbursements made since the end of the
period for which the last statement was filed, including reports filed
in the previous election for which the candidate ran for office.
(9)
Reports showing a deficit must be explained by the candidate-elect
prior to taking the oath of office.
(10)
The initial report of any candidate who has previously been a candidate
for election in the City shall include any contributions made from
the date of the end of the prior candidacy up to the time of the first
report required herein.
C.
Campaign contributions received from an unknown person or source
shall not be used for any political purpose whatsoever, but rather,
within seven days of receipt thereof, such contributions shall be
donated to a charity (nonprofit organization) within the City limits.
D.
All reports shall be maintained by the Clerk of the Chief Judge of
Elections or a representative designated by the Mayor and City Council
for a period of five (5) years. Reports shall be made available for
public examination and copying during normal business hours, provided
that all persons examining or copying a report shall be required to
record his or her name, current address and the name of the person
whose report was examined or copied.
E.
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section shall
be guilty of a municipal infraction and shall be fined by the Board
of Election Supervisors in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars
($1,000.) and may result in a candidate being removed from the ballot.
F.
No candidate's name shall be placed on the ballot until such time
as their reports have been reviewed and approved.
G.
In-kind contributions must be included on campaign contribution and
disbursement reports.
There is a late filing fee for each report or statement of contributions
and disbursement report that is not filed within the time prescribed.
The fee is ten dollars ($10.) for each day or part of a day that a
report is overdue. The Clerk to the Board of Election Supervisors
shall receive an overdue report or statement even if any late filing
fee due has not been paid, but the report or statement shall not be
considered officially received until all fees have been paid. Upon
the receipt by the Clerk of an overdue report or statement, no further
late filing fees shall be incurred, notwithstanding the fact that
the report or statement is not considered officially filed. A late
filing fee may not be paid, directly or indirectly, from contributions
to the candidate or campaign committee and, when paid, may not be
treated as a contribution or an expenditure.
[Amended 2-26-2021 by Ord. No. 21-08]
No person shall canvass, electioneer or post any campaign material,
or other handouts of any kind, in any polling place or within a 100-foot
radius from the front of the polling location. Polling places and
voting stations shall be frequently cleaned to ensure the removal
of candidate paraphernalia and other material of the candidate. All
political signs shall comply with the City Code. No election signs
shall be allowed on any City-owned property, except on Election Day
and on early voting days at voting locations. Campaigning shall not
be permitted at any time on City property, except on Election Day.
An authority line must appear on all campaign materials.
[Added 2-26-2021 by Ord.
No. 21-08]
Campaign signs identifying candidates for a City of New Carrollton
election shall only be placed within the corporate boundaries of the
City. Candidates are required to obtain permission of a property owner
prior to placing campaign signs on private property. Signs shall be
erected within the boundaries of the owner's property and not
within the public right-of-way. Campaign signs are not allowed within
the public right-of-way. The location of campaign signs on private
property shall comply with all applicable state, county and local
requirements. The Board of Elections will not intervene in disputes
between a property owner or resident and a candidate regarding the
placement of signs on private property. The Board of Elections will
monitor signs that are placed in the public right-of-way and contact
the candidate to have them removed.
Persons desiring to withdraw their candidacy for elective office
must submit a written request to withdraw and to be removed from the
ballot no later than the filing deadline for candidacy. The written
request to withdraw shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors
of Election. If any write-in votes are cast for a candidate who has
withdrawn their candidacy, such votes shall not be included in the
vote tally conducted by the Board; however, the remainder of the voter's
ballot shall not be invalidated by such vote.
A.
The name of a write-in candidate shall not appear on the ballot for
the election, except as written in by a voter at the time of casting
their ballot.
B.
Write-in candidates are required to follow the same election procedures and campaign finance reporting requirements as other candidates, including the filing of a nominating petition, without signature of residents, within twenty-four (24) hours of the closing of the polls, and the filing of both the third and final campaign finance reports in accordance with City Code § 50-4 and a financial disclosure statement no later than 12:00 noon on the Friday following the election in accordance with City Code § 12-6D(2)(b).