City of Laurel, Maryland

CITY OF LAUREL GENERAL ELECTION

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Final Results

Unofficial Results

Download the 2011 Voter Guide

Sample Ballots: Ward 1, Ward 2

VOTING INFORMATION

All voters shall register in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations of Prince George's County.  Every person who is registered with the County Board of Elections and is a resident of the City of Laurel shall be entitled to vote in all City elections.

Qualified residents of the City may obtain a Maryland Voter Registration Application at the Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road, Laurel, MD, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday.  You may also access voter registration information at the State Board of Elections at www.elections.state.md.us or the Prince George's County Board of Elections at www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

POLLING LOCATIONS

 Click here for a map of the wards and polling locations

Ward 1 Residents - Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road, Laurel

Ward 2 Residents - Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, Cypress Street, Laurel

EARLY VOTING

Laurel Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road, Laurel

Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 9:00 am. until 5:00 p.m.

Friday, October 28, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 29, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS

To request an absentee ballot for the City of Laurel General Election on Tuesday, November 1, 2011, call the Board of Election Supervisors at 301-725-5300, Extension 2120 or download an application from the City’s website.  Completed applications must be mailed or delivered  to the Office of the Clerk to the Board of Election Supervisors. No email or faxed applications will be accepted.  All applications must have original signatures.   The deadline to apply for an Absentee Ballot is Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Click here to download the Absentee Ballot Application

RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICE

LAUREL CHARTER/CODE (EXCERPTS RELATING TO CITY ELECTIONS)

 ARTICLE  300. GOVERNMENT

Sec. 301.          Mayor and Council.

The government of said City shall be vested in a Mayor and five (5) Councilmembers, to be elected as hereinafter provided.

Sec. 310.          City Council.

The City Councilmembers shall be persons of known integrity, experience and sound judgment, not less than twenty-one (21) years of age, citizens of the United States, shall be registered to vote in City elections and residents of said City for the one year immediately preceding the date of their election. Each Councilmember shall hold his or her office for two (2) years from the second regular meeting after the election in November of the year of his or her election and until the qualification of his or her successor. A Councilmember shall remain a resident of the City while holding office.

Sec. 350.          Mayor. 

The Mayor of said City shall be a person of known integrity, experience and sound judgment, not less than twenty-five (25) years of age, a citizen of the United States, shall be registered to vote in City elections and a resident of said City for the two (2) years immediately preceding the date of his or her election. The Mayor shall hold office for four (4) years from the second regular meeting after the election in November of the year of his or her election and until the qualification of his or her successor. The Mayor shall remain a resident of the City while holding office.

ARTICLE 600.  REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS

Sec. 605.          Election of Mayor and Councilmembers.

(a)   The said qualified voters shall on the first Tuesday in November, 2011, and every four (4) years thereafter at such centrally located place or places within the said City of Laurel, as the Mayor and City Council may designate vote for one person as Mayor of said City of Laurel, to serve for four (4) years from the second regular meeting in November, 2011, subsequent to the election, and until the qualification of his successor; and the said voters shall on the first Tuesday in November 2011, and every two (2) years thereafter vote for five (5) persons as members of the City Council of Laurel, to serve for two (2) years and until their successors have qualified, one of which shall be chosen from the City At large, and two (2) from each of the two (2) wards in said City, the representatives of the wards to be domiciled in the ward each shall be chosen to represent. Each registered voter may only vote for candidates running for office in his or her respective ward, except for candidates running At-large. The Mayor and all Councilmembers shall be sworn in at the second regular meeting of the City Council following any election.

 (b)   The current terms of the Mayor and City Council, which was previously set to expire in September 7, 2010, shall, on a one-time basis, be extended for a period of fourteen (14) months to accommodate moving the election date to the first Tuesday in November, 2011. The Mayor and City Council, currently in office, shall continue to serve until November 28, 2011 or until their successors have qualified.

 CHAPTER 6 ELECTIONS

 ARTICLE III. CAMPAIGNING AND CAMPAIGN FINANCING

 Sec. 6-37.        Additional qualifications.

 a. No person shall be deemed qualified or allowed to register as a candidate for election to any office in the City if:

(1)        Such person is in arrears on the payment of any City taxes, or outstanding debt owed to the City unless such taxes are under active appeal.

(2)        Said person is in violation of the City Charter/Code requirement unless under active appeal.

 (3)        Such person is in violation of any City election law and/or reporting requirements pursuant to the City Charter/Code unless under active appeal.

 (4)        In order to become a candidate, a person shall sign an affidavit that he/she is not in violation of 1, 2 or 3 above.

 (5)        The above shall be enforced by the City Board of Elections with an appeal to the City Board of Appeals (who shall hear any appeal within ten (10) days of filing of such appeal) and from there to the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County, Maryland, within fifteen (15) days.

b.             All candidates shall be fully qualified registered voters in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

 c.             All candidates shall provide the Clerk to the City Council a valid Maryland driver’s license or other State issued picture ID prior to filing for candidacy for any City elective office.

 d.             Any elected official who during his or her term of office is convicted of or enters a plea of nolo contendere to any crime which is a felony, or which is a misdemeanor related to his or her public duties and responsibilities and involves moral turpitude for which the penalty may be incarceration in any penal institution, shall be suspended immediately by operation of law without pay or benefits from the elective office.  During and for the period of suspension of the elected official, the Mayor and City Council shall fill any vacancy in the elective office shall appoint a person to temporarily fill the elective office, provided that if the elective office is one for which automatic succession is provided by law, then in such event the person entitled to succeed to the office shall temporarily fill the elective office.  If the conviction becomes final, after judicial review or otherwise, such elected official shall be removed from the elective office by operation of law and the office shall be deemed vacant.  If the conviction of the elected official is reversed or overturned, the elected official shall be reinstated by operation of Law to the elective office for the remainder, if any, of the elective term of office during which he or she was so suspended or removed, and all pay and benefits shall be restored.

FILING FOR ELECTED OFFICE

Residents who are registered voters and meet the qualifications of the City's Charter/Code can file for elected office with the City Clerk beginning Monday, May 9, 2011 until Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

Candidates for elected office must fill out a Candidate Affidavit and Background Authorization Form, a Certificate of Nomination Form that includes 30 signatures of qualified voters along with a $40.00 filing fee, a Treasurer Apointment Form and a Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement.

For a copy of "Running for Elected Office" a Municipal Elections Candidate's Information Packet please contact the Office of the Clerk at 301-725-5300, Extension 2121 or download below.

Click here to download the "Running for Elected Office" Candidate's Information Packet

Click here to download the Financial Disclosure Statement for Candidates and Elected Officials