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<section article="gel" article_name="Election Law" number="6-210" title_number="6" title_name="Petitions" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Content and Process of Petitions">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A request for an advance determination under § 6–202 of this subtitle shall be submitted at least 30 days, but not more than 2 years and 1 month, prior to the deadline for the filing of the petition.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, within 5 business days of receiving a request for an advance determination, the election authority shall make the determination.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Within 10 business days of receiving a request for an advance determination of the sufficiency of a summary of a local law or charter amendment contained in a petition under § 6–202(b) of this subtitle, the election director shall make the determination.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Within 2 business days after an advance determination under § 6–202 of this subtitle, or a determination of deficiency under § 6–206 or § 6–208 of this subtitle, the chief election official of the election authority shall notify the sponsor of the determination.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the verification and counting of validated signatures on a petition shall be completed within 20 days after the filing of the petition.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a petition seeks to place the name of an individual on the ballot for a special election, the verification and counting of validated signatures on the petition shall be completed within 10 days after the filing of the petition.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Within 1 business day of the completion of the verification and counting processes, or, if judicial review is pending, within 1 business day after a final judicial decision, the appropriate election official shall make the certifications required by § 6–208 of this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, any judicial review of a determination, as provided in § 6–209 of this subtitle, shall be sought by the 10th day following the determination to which the judicial review relates.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>If the petition seeks to place the name of an individual or a question on the ballot at any election, except a presidential primary election, judicial review shall be sought by the day specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection or the 69th day preceding that election, whichever day is earlier.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the petition seeks to place the name of an individual on the ballot for a presidential primary election in accordance with § 8–502 of this article, judicial review of a determination made under § 6–208(a)(2) of this subtitle shall be sought by the 5th day following the determination to which the judicial review relates.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>If the petition seeks to place the name of an individual on the ballot for a special election, judicial review shall be sought by the 2nd day following the determination to which the judicial review relates.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A judicial proceeding under this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with the Maryland Rules, except that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the case shall be heard and decided without a jury and as expeditiously as the circumstances require; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>an appeal shall be taken directly to the Supreme Court of Maryland within 5 days after the date of the decision of the circuit court.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Supreme Court of Maryland shall give priority to hear and decide an appeal brought under subparagraph (i)2 of this paragraph as expeditiously as the circumstances require.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
