League of Women Voters of Maryland

I. LWVMD Responsibilities:

 The LWVMD will provide guidelines, information and training on how to prepare and publish Voters' Guides and to participate in DNet.

Questions for candidates for statewide and federal offices (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, U.S. Senators and House of Representatives) are determined by the LWVMD Board with input from LLs and questionnaires are prepared by the LWVMD.

Questions for General Assembly candidates: LWVMD Board will propound three mandatory questions to be asked of legislative candidates (State Senator, State Delegate). LWVMD Board will propound three non-mandatory questions to be asked of legislative candidates. LLs may propound additional questions for legislative candidates. If LLs do not propound replacement questions for the non-mandatory questions, or if the LLs that share a district cannot as a group agree or decide upon replacement questions, they shall default to the LWVMD Board propounded questions. A deadline for submission of replacement questions by LLs to LWVMD Board will be determined and publicized by the State Voter Service Chairman. Replacement questions not received by the deadline will not be used; rather, non-mandatory, Board questions will be used.

A workshop which includes current information which LLs need from the LWVMD is conducted early enough to help everyone plan for the Voter Guides and DNet in a timely fashion, i.e. about six months before the Primary. An additional workshop may be held later if needed. Copies of old guides and other related material will be available at the workshop.

A kit of materials available at the workshop may include:

1. a calendar of election-related dates;
2. a list of things to do - the LL responsibilities;
3. a deadline schedule of what should be done when;
4. a brief fact sheet on the election process so the Voters' Guide chairs and DNet Administrators will understand it and be confident in making decisions;
5. explanatory material to put in the Guides and on DNet such as descriptions of statewide offices, judicial elections, salaries, ballot questions, write-in information. (Some are mandatory, some used only if space permits);
6. a standard format for presenting the candidates biographies and answers. Format may vary because of newspaper requirements.
7. LWVUS guidelines for DNet voter guides.

LWVMD mailings:

1. Questionnaires to all candidates for statewide and judicial offices. When replies are received, LWVMD will send copies to all LLs, along with a check-list of these candidates. Questionnaires shall contain a request for biographical information and an opening statement for use on DNet, and in Guides, if space permits.
2. Copies to LLs (or to lead Leagues in some cases -- see # II) including copies of candidates' questionnaires for them to mail to candidates for the General Assembly and copies of standard transmittal letter.
3. Names of statewide candidates who have filed with the State Board of Elections (SBE), to LLs (or lead Leagues in some cases).
4. For the General Election, a copy and explanation of statewide ballot questions (constitutional amendments and statewide referenda) to each LL.
5. Any additional information that becomes available that LLs will need; e.g., result of lawsuit affecting ballot or election, increase in postal rates, changes in candidates, etc.

Follow-up phone calls: LWVMD Voter Service chair will be available for help and advice by phone, or email.

II. Lead League Responsibilities:

Definition: A Lead League is a LL which has agreed to handle all questionnaires for candidates in a shared legislative district.

• Send questionnaires to legislative candidates in the shared district.
• Get replies.
• Immediately send copies of the original replies to the LLs in the shared district.

A list of local Voter Service chairs will be provided by the LWVMD.

 

III. LL Responsibilities:

• Negotiate with local newspapers for printing of guides.
• Prepare questions for candidates for local offices.
• Get names from local election board of all candidates who file there, periodically, as they file and/or withdraw. Make a final check when the official ballot is prepared.
• Send out questionnaires and get replies. In presidential years with Spring primaries a second set of questions should be sent before the General Election, in gubernatorial years with full primaries, questions for both guides should be sent together.
• Prepare material for the Guide and DNet, following the established guidelines.

1) Obtain other necessary information from local election board: maps, dates and places for voter registration, list of polling places, etc.

2) For General Election, obtain from local election boards names of candidates who won primary and all others who will be on the ballot. Obtain a sample ballot as a check list.

3) For General Election, obtain local ballot questions from county officials and prepare brief explanations.

4) Know what type of voting system is used in all jurisdictions covered by the Guide/DNet -particularly if any instructions or diagrams are included in Guide or on DNet.

• Pay costs associated with publishing guides and administering local DNet site.
• Leagues sharing districts with counties having no LL should, if possible, include those counties’ candidates in their Guide and distribute it in that county and provide DNet coverage. MVEF assists in funding this extra effort.
• Send the LWVMD office two copies of each Voters' Guide published.

IV. General Guidelines:

A. What candidates should be included in the Guide?

All candidates for the same office whose names have been certified to be on the ballot are included in the Guide and on DNet. Candidates having no contest in the general election may be listed by name only, but it is preferable to include their biographies and answers. Candidates who are unopposed in the primary should be listed at least by name and their biographies and answers included if space permits. The check list of candidates should include the names of all the candidates who will be on the ballot. [Note: unopposed candidates DO appear on the ballot]

Third Party candidates who have filed with the appropriate Board of Elections AND who have qualified for the ballot should be included on DNet and in general election Voters' Guides.

Write-in candidates who have filed with the appropriate Board of Elections by a date set by the Voters' Guide Editor should be included in the General Election Voters Guide and identified by party as a write-in candidate. There should be a notice in the Voters' Guide about the deadline and that other candidates may have filed [Example: “Write in candidates who filed with the SBE by this date and who provided LWV with responses are included in this Guide. Information about other write in candidates may be obtained at SBE website or on DNet.”] Note: There are no write-in candidates for the Primary Election.

If space permits, candidates for all offices should be included in the Guide. It should be decided ahead of time which offices, if any, will be omitted if space is a problem, and all LLs involved should be included in the decision.

B. In order to treat all candidates throughout the state alike, a uniform policy should be established for:

• Cutting off replies that exceed the word limit. Candidates’ information is to be printed verbatim. If the word limit is exceeded, the LL should strike all words to the nearest appropriate place within the word limit.
• All candidates should be notified in the cover letter that they must meet the same deadline as even if they do not have opposition in the primary. If LLs are able to obtain candidate bio/replies after the LWVMD/MVEF fails to do so, the information should be sent to the League to share with other LLs.
• C. When multiple questions are prepared for an office, they should be listed in order of priority so that, if space in the Guide becomes a problem, the question having the lowest priority is omitted. The MVEF board decides on priorities. Three questions are used in the primary Guide and three questions in the general Guide.
• D. Realistic word limits should be assigned to the questions. The limit need not be the same for all questions or categories of candidates.

• E. Letters to candidates in shared districts will inform them that their replies will be shared with all other Leagues in the district for inclusion in their Guides.

• F. Dealing with newspapers: The League must retain editorial control. Agreements with newspapers that print Guides must be worked out ahead of time and include all decisions that can be foreseen. Have a written memorandum of understanding signed by all parties involved. Non-negotiable points include the prohibition of advertising connected in any way with a candidate and a requirement that the League must be allowed to proofread final copy. Negotiable points would be the number of copies to be provided the League for distribution, the cost if any to LL, schedule of deadlines, printing and publication dates, offices to be included, exclusive material or not, format to be used. Photos may be used at the discretion of the LL and the newspaper. Do not request photos unless they are likely to be used.

• G. Administration of DNet will be in accordance with DNet guidelines established by LWVUS.