Ballot access is the means by which small parties and unaffiliated candidates get on  “on the ballot.” In Maryland,  new political  parties have to collect 10,000 valid petition signatures to have ballot access. A petition earns a party one presidential election and one gubernatorial election. 

Example: The Maryland Green Party turned in a petition in August of 2024 with over 10,000 vali signatures. This earned the Green Party “ballot access” for the 2024 and 2026 elections.

When a party has ballot access in Maryland, voters can affiliate with the party and candidates can run for office on the party ballot line.

In order for a party to retain ballot access they must either have 1 % of registered voters at the end of a calendar year  or they must get 1% in a top of ticket race (President or Governor). If they do these things, they secure ballot access for the next election. If they do not, then they must go through the new party petition process. 

The Maryland Green Party has qualified as a new party through petition 7 times, 3 presidential candidates (Nader in 2000, Stein in 2016, and Stein in 2024) have surpassed 1 % but no Maryland Green Party gubernatorial candidate has done so. The Ellis for Governor campaign aims to be the first. 

More information:

• Data Set: Green Party Gubernatorial campaigns around the country

• Data Set: Third Party Races for Governor in Maryland