The bill would eliminate the current practice in which petitioners may make multiple submissions if an initial submission of signatures is insufficient. Supporters of the bill contend that multiple submissions creates an unworkable burden on local Boards of Election staff. However, the Green Party contends that it is the dependence on archaic paper petition forms that is the real issue.

"It may be true that multiple petition submissions are a burden on election works, but the cause is the thousands of sheets of paper that the State of Maryland requires for each petition," said Michelle Devillier, one of Maryland's representatives on the Green Party of the United States' Ballot Access Committee. "The more democratic, inclusive, and cost-efficient solution is to allow Marylanders to sign petitions electronically. The state already trusts its online systems to allow voters to register and update their registration online. The State Board of Election should trust its online systems to accept electronic petition signatures, like several states already do."

HB 41/SB 267 would also move the deadline for submitting a new party petition from August of an election year to July, which the Green Party believes is reasonable, and could easily be addressed in a separate bill in next year's session.

The Maryland legislature has the power to authorize electronic petition signatures. The Green Party urges Governor Moore to veto HB 41/SB 267 and work with the legislature in next year's session to authorize electronic petition signatures.