THE CITY OF FREDERICK

MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN

 

ORDINANCE NO: G-08-5

 

AN ORDINANCE concerning: voting, political candidates, and elections

 

FOR THE PURPOSE of amending the Code of the City of Frederick, 1966, as amended, to update and reorganize certain provisions; to add certain provisions in conjunction with the removal thereof from the Charter; and to eliminate redundancy and inconsistencies within and among existing Code provisions

           

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-1, entitled “Precinct boundaries", and ENACTING a new Section 7-1 entitled "Voter registration";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-2, entitled “Board of supervisors of elections--Office", and ENACTING a new Section 7-2 entitled "Absentee voting";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-3, entitled "Same--Clerk", and ENACTING a new Section 7-3 entitled "Conduct and operation of elections";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-4, entitled "Judges of election";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-5, entitled "Use of voting machines";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-6, entitled "Selection of registration and polling places";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article I, Section 7-7, entitled "Corrupt practices; penalty", and renaming it to be "Illegal electioneering and corrupt practices";


BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article II, Section 7-8, entitled "Certificates to be preserved";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article II, Section 7-9, entitled "Lists to be published";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article II, Section 7-10, entitled "Declined nominations";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article II, Section 7-11, entitled "Method of filling vacancies";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-12, entitled "Purpose";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-13, entitled "Applicability";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-14, entitled "Definitions";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-16, entitled "Campaign finance entities", in subsection (d), entitled "Closure";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-21, entitled "Campaign finance reports required";

 

BY AMENDING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-24, entitled "Enforcement and penalties";

 

BY REPEALING Chapter 7, Article III, Section 7-25, entitled "Severability"; and


BY REPEALING Appendix I, entitled "Absentee Voters"

 

BE IT ENACTED AND ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF FREDERICK:

 

Section 1.  Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-1, entitled “Precinct  boundaries", and enacting a new Section 7-1, entitled "Voter registration", to read as follows:

 

Sec. 7-1. Voter registration.

 

(a) Qualifications. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an individual may become registered to vote if the individual: (i) is a citizen of the United States; (ii) is a resident of The City of Frederick for at least thirty (30) days prior to the next City election; and (iii) is at least eighteen (18) years old or will be 18 years old on or before the day of the next City election.

 

(b) Disqualifiers.  An individual may not become registered to vote if the individual: (i) has been convicted of a felony and is currently serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation for the conviction; (ii) is under guardianship for mental disability; or (iii) has been convicted of buying or selling votes. 

 

(c) Appeals.  Any person who feels aggrieved at any action of the Board of Supervisors of Elections or its staff shall have the right of appeal from a refusal to register him as a qualified voter, the removal or misspelling of his or of any other person’s name, or the registration or nonregistration of any fictitious, deceased, or other disqualified person. Such appeal may be brought at any time except that it may not be later than the third Tuesday preceding the election. The appeal shall be taken by filing a petition, verified by affidavit, in the Frederick County Circuit Court, setting forth the ground of the application and asking to have the files corrected.  The Court may, upon the presentation of evidence satisfactory to it, in its discretion, dispose of the matter summarily or in its discretion, otherwise set the matter for hearing and direct summons to be issued. Upon appropriate order of court, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall make the required corrections indicating that such changes have been made pursuant to order of court.  In determining whether any person is or is not a resident of any precinct, it shall be presumed that if a person is shown to have acquired a residence in one locality, he retains the same until it is affirmatively shown that he has acquired a residence elsewhere.  An appeal may be taken from any ruling of such Court to the Court of Special Appeals. Any such appeal shall be taken within five (5) days from the date of the decision complained of and the appeal shall be heard and decided by the Court of Special Appeals as soon after the transmission of the record as practicable.

 

(d)  Method of registering.  Persons qualified to register or change their current registration information may do so at any time the Frederick County Board of Elections office is open and accepting voter registration applications, except thirty (30) days preceding or ten (10) days following any City election.  Any registered voter who moves from the precinct in which such voter is registered, either to another state or to some other place within the state, or to another precinct of the City, shall, not less than thirty (30) days after such move, notify the Frederick County Board of Elections office, in writing, of the address to

which the voter has moved. 

(e) Records.  All voter registration records are open for public inspection.

 

Section 2.  Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-2, entitled “Board of supervisors of elections--Office", and enacting a new Section 7-2, entitled "Absentee voting", to read as follows:

 

Sec. 7-2. Absentee voting.

 

(a) Requirements.  A registered voter in The City of Frederick who is qualified to vote in any City election as an absentee voter shall personally complete the prescribed absentee ballot application and submit it to the Frederick County Board of Elections office on or before the Tuesday preceding the

election.  Any registered voter in the City may vote by absentee ballot if:

(1) The voter is absent for any reason from the City on the day of the election; or

(2) The voter is prevented, because of physical disability or confinement in or restriction to any institution, from being present and personally voting at the polls on the day of the election.

 

(b) Determination of valid registration; delivery of ballots.  Upon receipt of an absentee ballot application, the staff of the Frederick County Board of Elections shall determine whether the applicant is a voter legally registered to vote in the election, and if they find he is not so registered, shall reject the application. If the staff find that the applicant is a registered voter as stated in his application, they shall deliver to him at the Frederick County Board of Elections office, or shall mail to him at an address designated by him, an absentee ballot and related information. Postage for mailing absentee ballot material to the voter shall be paid by the Board of Supervisors of Elections, and postage for the return of the absentee ballot shall be paid by the voter.

 

(c) Record of applications.  The staff of the Frederick County Board of Elections shall keep a record of absentee ballot applications as they are received showing the names and residences of the applicants and where the ballot was delivered. These records are available for public inspection.

 

(d) Registration of absentee ballots.  Upon receipt of an application for an absentee ballot and the delivery to the registered voter of an absentee ballot, the staff of the Frederick County Board of Elections shall cause the voter’s name on the precinct printout delivered to the person’s election precinct a notation stating that the person is voting by absentee ballot.

 

                    (e) Emergency absentee ballots. 

 

(1) Requirements.  After the Tuesday preceding an election and before the time the polls close on election day, a qualified voter may apply for an emergency absentee ballot if the voter:

(A) Is unable to be present at the polls as a result of illness or accident;

(B) Is unable to be present at the polls because of a death or serious illness in the

       person’s immediate family; or

(C) Is required by an emergency to be absent from the City on the day of election.

 

(2) Determination of valid registration; delivery of ballots.  Upon receipt of the emergency absentee ballot application, the staff of the Frederick County Board of Elections shall review the application. If the staff of the Frederick County Board of Elections determines that the person meets the requirements of this section, it shall issue an emergency absentee ballot to the applicant or the applicant's authorized agent.  This absentee ballot shall be marked by the voter, placed in a sealed envelope, and returned to the Frederick County Board of Elections office.  If the applicant does not apply in person, the applicant shall designate a registered voter in the City or County as agent for the purpose of delivering the absentee ballot to the voter. The agent shall execute an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the ballot was delivered to the voter who submitted the application, was marked by the voter in the agent’s presence, was placed in a sealed envelope in the agent’s presence, and returned, under seal, to the Frederick County Board of Elections office.

 

(f) Canvassing of absentee ballots.  An absentee ballot is timely received, and will be counted, if it is postmarked on or before the date of the election and received by the Frederick County Board of Elections no later than 10 am on the second Wednesday after the primary election and no later than 10 am on the second Friday after the general election. Not later than the canvass of the votes cast at the polling places, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall proceed to count, certify and canvass the ballots contained in the absentee ballot envelopes.   If, during this time, the Board of Supervisors of Elections determines that the voter died before the date of the election, it shall reject and not count the deceased voter's absentee ballot. 

 

(g) Penalties.  Any person who shall falsely apply for an absentee ballot under the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or both, at the discretion of the court.

 

Section 3. Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-3, entitled "Same--Clerk", and enacting a new Section 7-3, entitled "Conduct and operation of elections", to read as follows:

 

Sec. 7-3. Conduct and operation of elections.

 

(a) Records.  All office procedures, transactions and record maintenance relating to any election of The City of Frederick shall be conducted under the supervision of the Board of Supervisors of Elections.   All election data must be preserved for at least five years from the date of the election. All voted ballots used in any election must be preserved for at least two years from the date of the election. Unused ballots must be retained until the election results have been certified, after which they may be destroyed.

 

(b) Notice of elections. Twice before each City election, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall give notice of elections by publishing notice in a newspaper of general circulation in The City of Frederick.  Each notice must include the hours of the polls, listing of polling places, and the offices and questions to be voted upon at the election.  The first notice must be published at least eight days before any City election. At the same time the first notice is published, a copy of the specimen ballot listing the candidates’ names and offices, party affiliation, and questions must also be published.  The second notice must be published the day before the election. 

 

(c) Voting Machines. The use of voting equipment is hereby authorized for all City elections.

 

(d) Polls Open.  For all City elections, the polls shall remain open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

(e) Unofficial Vote Totals.  As soon as the polls have closed following any City election, the judges of elections shall produce unofficial vote totals for each polling place and post them at the polling place in a prominent location, accessible to the public.  Thereafter, the judges of elections shall complete all reports required by law and deliver to the Frederick County Board of Elections office all voted ballots, documents, and other election-related materials. 

 

(f) Voter Assistance.

 

(1) Instructions.  At the request of any voter, an election judge shall instruct the voter, before the voter enters the voting booth, regarding the marking of a ballot.

 

(2)  Assistance to certain persons.  Any voter who declares under oath to an election judge that the voter requires assistance in marking the ballot by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write the English language may, except as otherwise provided in subsection (e)(3) of this section, choose any individual to assist the voter. 

 

(3) Persons who may not assist a voter.  A voter may not choose a candidate, the voter's employer or agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union to assist the voter in marking the ballot.

 

(4)  Manner of giving assistance.  The person chosen by the voter to assist the voter may mark the ballot or operate the voting machine as directed by the voter.  A person assisting a voter may not suggest or seek to persuade or induce any voter to vote for or against any candidate or question. If the person chosen by the voter is an election judge, an election judge of a different political party shall witness the assistance given by the election judge to the voter. 

 

(5)  Person accompanying voter into booth or machine.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a voter may not be accompanied into a voting booth by an individual over the age of 12 years.

 

Section 4.  Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-4, entitled "Judges of election", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-4. Judges of election.

 

(a) Number.  On or before the fifteenth day of June, 1977, and on or before the same day every four years thereafter, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall appoint judges of elections for the next election for each precinct in The City of Frederick. For each precinct, there shall be an equal number of election judges from each of the two principal political parties, as defined by Maryland law, as amended from time to time.  If the total number of election judges for a precinct is four or more, the Board of Supervisors of Elections may appoint one or more election judges for that precinct who are not registered with either of the principal political parties, as long as there are an equal number of election judges for that precinct from each of the principal political parties. 

 

(b) General Qualifications.  Except as otherwise provided in this section, all judges of elections must be residents and registered voters in the election precinct in which they are appointed to serve, and must be persons of high character, integrity and capable of performing their duties in a satisfactory manner. The judges of elections must be able to speak, read and write the English language during the time of acting as a judge; must not hold nor be a candidate for any other public or political party office nor be a campaign manager or treasurer for a candidate or campaign committee. The Board of Supervisors of Elections may prescribe additional requirements as it may deem necessary for determining the qualifications of persons

proposed for appointment as judges of elections.

(c) Residing Outside Precinct.  If a qualified individual residing in the election precinct cannot be found with reasonable effort, then the Board of Supervisors of Elections may appoint as election judge any registered voter residing in The City of Frederick.  If a qualified individual residing in The City of Frederick cannot be found with reasonable effort, then the Board of Supervisors of Elections may appoint as election judge any registered voter residing in Frederick County.

 

(d) Minors.  A minor at least seventeen (17) years old who is a resident of The City of Frederick may be appointed to be an election judge.  A minor who is too young to be a registered voter shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, that the minor meets all of the other qualifications for registration in The City of Frederick.


(e) Vacancies. 
Vacancies for any reason among the judges of elections shall be filled by the Board of

Supervisors of Elections for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(f) Duties.  The election judges shall perform all necessary duties in regard to the conduct of the election at the polling places, including but not limited to providing voting assistance to a voter if requested by the voter to do so. All election judges are required, as part of their appointment, to attend a training session.

The compensation of all judges of elections shall be determined by the Board of Aldermen.

(g) Oath of office.  All judges of election appointed by the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections for the purpose of conducting a registration of voters shall be promptly notified of their appointment, with direction to appear before the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections, at a time designated in such notice, for the purpose of qualifying. Each judge shall take and subscribe to the following oath of office[, before one of the supervisors, which oath shall be printed in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall be substantially in the following form]:

“I, __________ residing at __________ [in the City of Frederick], in the State of Maryland, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that [I am a legal voter in the __________ precinct of said city, that] I will support the Constitution of the United States and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland and support the Constitution and laws thereof and that I will faithfully and honestly, without partiality or prejudice, according to the best of my ability, discharge the duties of [an officer of registration and of] judge of election for the __________ precinct in [said] The City of Frederick, according to law.” [After taking the oath of office they shall be given their commissions.
All such judges shall be residents of the precinct for which they are appointed.]

 

Section 5.  Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-5, entitled "Use of voting machines".

 

Section 6.  Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-6,

entitled "Selection of registration and polling places", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-6. Selection of registration and polling places.

 

It shall be the duty of the Board of Supervisors of Elections to provide for each primary, general, or special municipal election a suitable place or places in each precinct for voting.  The places selected for registration and polling places in each precinct shall be [a building, the entrance to which is from the highway or from a public street, at least twenty-five (25) feet wide, in a room facing on the street or highway, and shall be] as near the center of the voting population of the precinct and as convenient to the greater number of voters as is practicable. In no case shall a registration or election be held in any building used or occupied as a saloon, dramshop, poolroom, billiard hall, bowling alley or any place where intoxicating liquors are sold or connecting therewith by doors or hallways. The [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections is hereby authorized, in its discretion, to provide a centralized registration and polling place to be used by the voters of one or more precincts in the [city] City, subject to the approval of the [board of aldermen] Board of Aldermen. If the Board of Supervisors of Elections is unable to find a suitable place for voting in any election precinct, it may provide a polling place for said precinct in any other adjacent precinct.  Every polling place, to the extent feasible, shall be structurally barrier free in order to permit reasonable access to the elderly and handicapped voters.

 

Section 7. Chapter 7, Article I of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-7, entitled "Corrupt practices; penalty"; and renaming it to be "Illegal electioneering and corrupt practices", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-7. Illegal Electioneering and [Corrupt] corrupt practices[; penalty].

 

(a)  Illegal electioneering.  No person is permitted to canvass, electioneer or post any campaign material in the polling room or within a line, established by the election judges through the posting of signs, that is located within one hundred (100) feet from the entrance and exit used by the voters. The only persons allowed in the polling room shall be the election officials, "challengers and watchers", and the registered voters for that particular polling place. The registered voters are to vote and depart the polling room within a reasonable amount of time. If the voter remains in the polling room, it may be considered illegal electioneering.  Any person found guilty of illegal electioneering shall be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) or more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), or imprisoned in jail not exceeding sixty (60) days, or both.  It is not a violation of law for a voter to wear into the polling place a button, tee-shirt, hat or other article of clothing with a campaign message on it, so long as the voter leaves the polling place promptly after voting. No "challenger and watcher" may wear such campaign paraphernalia in the polling place. Election judges or any other person who is authorized to remain in or near a polling place for an extended period of time is prohibited from wearing political paraphernalia while inside the polling place or within one hundred (100) feet of it.

 

(b) Corrupt practices. It shall be unlawful and shall be deemed a corrupt practice for any person to publish or distribute or cause to be published or distributed any pamphlet, circular, card, dodger, poster, advertisement or any printed, multigraphed, photographed, typewritten or written matter or statement of any matter or statement which may be copied by any device or method known for printing or copying or which may hereafter be used for making copies of printed or written matter in any form whatever for publication or distribution, relating to or concerning any candidate or prospective candidate for public office, unless such pamphlet, circular, card, dodger, poster, advertisement or other form of publication herein described contains the name or names of the persons, associations, committee or corporation responsible for the publication or distribution of the same, and if an association, committee or corporation is responsible for the publication or distribution of the same, there shall be attached the names of the officers of such association, committee or corporation.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 8.  Chapter 7, Article II of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-8, entitled "Certificates to be preserved", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-8. Certificates to be preserved.

 

The [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections shall cause to be preserved in their office for one year all certificates of nomination filed with them under the provisions of this article. All such certificates shall be open to public inspection.

 

Section 9. Chapter 7, Article II of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-9, entitled "Lists to be published";

 

Section 10.  Chapter 7, Article II of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-10, entitled "Declined nominations";

 

Section 11. Chapter 7, Article II of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-11, entitled "Method of filling vacancies", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-11. Method of filling vacancies.

 

Should any person nominated for office die before election day or decline the nomination, or should any certificate of nomination become insufficient or inoperative from any cause, the vacancy thus occasioned may be filled in the manner required for original nominations. If the original nomination was made by a party convention which had delegated to a committee the power to fill vacancies, such committee may, upon the occurring of such vacancies, proceed to fill the same, and the chairman and secretary of such committee shall thereupon make and file with the proper officer a certificate setting forth the cause of the vacancy, the name of the person nominated, the office for which he was nominated, the name of the person for whom the new nominee is to be substituted, the fact that the committee was authorized to fill vacancies, and such further information as is required to be given in an original certificate of nomination. The certificate so made shall be executed, acknowledged and filed in the manner prescribed for the original certificate of nomination, and shall, except in case of a nominee dying, be filed at least eight (8) days before the day of election, and in cases of either resignation or death, shall be filed within six (6) days after the vacancy shall have occurred, and upon being so filed shall have the same force and effect as an original certificate of nomination. In the case, however, of any nominee dying within so short a time before the day of election that the certificate of nomination of the new nominee shall not have been filed with or certified to the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections until after six (6) days before the day of election, thus being too late for the name of the new nominee to be printed on the ballots, the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections shall at once cause to be printed a sufficient number of stickers bearing the name of such substituted nominee, and shall deliver them in due time to the judges of election for all of those precincts in the [city] City, and the judges shall affix such stickers in the proper place on each ticket before it is given out to the voter. If the resignation, disqualification or death and consequent change of nominee shall have occurred and been made after the first publication and before the second publication, the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections shall, if possible, make the proper change in the second publication. If questions of local concern are to be submitted for approval to the vote of the people of the [city] City, the same shall be certified to the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections within the period provided herein by the [board of aldermen] Board of Aldermen and shall be advertised as herein provided in the case of nominees for [city] City offices.

 

 

Section 12. Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-12, entitled "Purpose", as follows:

 

Section 7-12. Purpose.

 

The intention of this article is that the conduct of elections should inspire public confidence and trust by assuring that full information on elections is provided to the public, including disclosure of campaign receipts and expenditures. Furthermore, the [mayor] Mayor and [board of aldermen] Board of Aldermen believe that the citizens of [the] The City of Frederick have the right to know the sources of funding received by candidates for public office.

 

Section 13. Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-13, entitled "Applicability", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-13. Applicability.


The provisions of this article shall apply to all elections in which ballots are cast pursuant to the provisions of the [Frederick City] Charter of The City of Frederick and this chapter.

 

Section 14. Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-14, entitled "Definitions", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-14. Definitions.


As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated unless a contrary meaning is

clearly intended from the context in which the term appears:

Board means the [board of supervisors of elections] Board of Supervisors of Elections of [the] The City

of Frederick.

Campaign finance entity means a personal treasurer or candidate committee.


Candidate means any person who files a certificate of candidacy for any public office.


Candidate committee means any combination of two (2) or more persons appointed or authorized by a candidate which has as a principal purpose to assist or attempt to assist in any manner the promotion of the success of any candidate. A citizen’s association, not otherwise a candidate committee, shall not be deemed a candidate committee if it simply conducts a forum, or sponsors a meeting for candidates to present information and/or express their views on issues to citizens in the community.


Contribution means the gift, transfer or promise of a gift or transfer of money or other thing of value to any candidate, or an agent or treasurer thereof, to promote or assist in the promotion of the success of that candidate at any election.


Election means any primary, general, or special election of
[the] The City of Frederick.


Expenditure means any gift, transfer, disbursement or promise of money or valuable thing by any candidate, or an agent or treasurer thereof, to promote or assist in the promotion of the success of that candidate in any election.


General election means the election held on the
[first] Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every fourth year, counting from the year 1969, at which the voters of [the city] The City of Frederick vote for candidates for [mayor] Mayor and [aldermen] Alderman.


Political action committee means a political committee that is not:

(1) A political party;
(2) A central committee;
(3) A slate;
(4) A political committee organized and operated solely to support or oppose a single candidate; or
(5) A political committee organized and operated solely to support or oppose a ballot issue.

Political committee means a combination of two (2) or more individuals that assists or attempts to assist in promoting the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, or question submitted to a vote at any election.

Transfer means a monetary contribution made by one campaign finance entity to another.

 

Section 15. Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-16, entitled "Campaign finance entities", subsection (d), entitled "Closure", as follows:

 

(d) Closure. A campaign finance entity may continue in existence in perpetuity. It may be closed, at the option of the candidate, by the filing with the [board] Board of a form prescribed by the [board] Board for such purpose. If there are reports due, they must be filed before the [board] Board may close the campaign finance entity. Upon closure of a campaign finance entity, any funds remaining in the associated bank account must be disposed of in accordance with section 7-23 of this article and the bank account must be closed.

 

Section 16.  Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-21, entitled "Campaign finance reports required", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-21. Campaign finance reports required.


(a) Every campaign finance entity shall file a report of campaign contributions and expenditures in accordance with the provisions of this section on forms as prescribed by the [board] Board. Campaign finance reports are required by all campaign finance entities, regardless of whether or not the candidate withdraws subsequent to filing a certificate of candidacy or the outcome of the election. Each report shall contain all contributions received and expenditures made in furtherance of the candidate’s nomination or election by the campaign finance entity, from any other person or groups of persons.


(b) Each report shall contain the following information:

(1) The name and address of the candidate and the campaign finance entity’s treasurer;

(2) The office sought by the candidate;


(3) The date on which the report is filed;


(4)
The name and current address of each contributor of election campaign contributions;


(5) The dollar amount of each contribution, or if not money, a description and estimated value of such non-monetary contributions, not including volunteer service;


(6) The date, dollar amount, and nature of each expenditure made; and


(7) Written verification by the treasurer of the campaign finance entity.

 

(c) Campaign finance reports shall be filed with the board. All reports shall be maintained by the [board] Board for a period of five (5) years. Reports shall be made available for public inspection and copying during normal business hours.


(d) Each report filed shall be completed through and including the fourth day preceding the day by which that report is to be filed. The initial report filed shall indicate the initial balance of the campaign account and shall contain all contributions received and expenditures made since the closing date of the last report in the preceding election to fill the office for which the person is a candidate. Each subsequent report filed shall contain information regarding contributions received and expenditures made since the end of the

period for which the last statement was filed.

(1) The first report shall be filed no later than noon of the thirtieth day before the primary election.

(2) The second report shall be filed no later than noon of the thirtieth day before the general election.

(3) The third report shall be filed no later than noon of the seventh day before the general election.

(4) The fourth report shall be filed within thirty (30) days following the date of the general election.

(5) Before a campaign finance entity may be closed in accordance with section 7-16(d) of this article, a final report shall be filed. The fourth report required by subsection (d)(4) of this section

may be deemed the final report if it is clearly marked as such.

(e) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or incarceration of up to ninety (90) days.

 

Section 17.  Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by amending Section 7-24, entitled "Enforcement and penalties", as follows:

 

Sec. 7-24. Enforcement and penalties.


(a) Enforcement by [board] Board. The [board] Board shall aid in the prosecution of all offenses under this article. When, in the judgment of the [board] Board, there is probable cause for believing that an offense has been committed, they shall cause a prosecution to be instituted in accordance with this article.


(b)
Except as otherwise provided herein, any person who (1) fails to perform any duty required of him under the provisions of this article; or (2) wilfully violates any provision of this article is guilty of a municipal infraction and shall be punished by a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400.00).

 

 

 

Section 18.  Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Section 7-25, entitled "Severability".

 

Section 19.  Chapter 7, Article III of the Frederick City Code is amended by repealing Appendix I, entitled "Absentee Voters".

 

Section 20.  In the event any provision, section, sentence, clause or part of this Ordinance shall be held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect or impair any remaining provision, section, sentence clause or part of this Ordinance, it being the intent of the city that such remainder shall be and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

Section 21.  This Ordinance shall take effect on April 11, 2008, and all other ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance will as of that date be repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.

 

 

APPROVED:  February 21, 2008                    PASSED:  February 21, 2008

 

 

 

_______________________________                      _________________________________

WILLIAM J. HOLTZINGER, Mayor               WILLIAM J. HOLTZINGER, President,

Board of Aldermen

 

Approved for Legal Sufficiency:

 

 

 

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