<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gel" article_name="Election Law" number="7-103" title_number="7" title_name="Questions" subtitle_number="1">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“County attorney” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the attorney or law department established by a county charter or local law to represent the county generally, including its legislative and executive officers; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>if the county charter or local laws provide for different attorneys to represent the legislative and executive branches of county government, the attorney designated to represent the county legislative body.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Municipal attorney” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the attorney or law department established by a municipal charter or local law to represent the municipal corporation generally, including its legislative and executive officers; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>if the municipal charter or local laws provide for different attorneys to represent the legislative and executive branches of municipal government, the attorney designated to represent the municipal legislative body.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Each question shall appear on the ballot containing the following information:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a question number or letter as determined under subsection (d) of this section;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>a brief designation of the type or source of the question;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>a brief title in boldface type that describes the topic, goal, or outcome of the ballot question;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>a condensed statement describing the change in policy to be adopted in plain and clear language that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a voter can easily understand;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>does not explain the legal mechanism providing for the policy change; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>does not contain legal jargon or use double negatives or the passive voice;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the voting choices that the voter has; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>a brief statement explaining what the practical outcome of each voting choice would be.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the Secretary of State shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section, for all statewide ballot questions and all questions relating to an enactment of the General Assembly which is petitioned to referendum.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the State Board shall prepare and certify to the appropriate local board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for all questions that have been referred to the voters of one county or part of one county pursuant to an enactment of the General Assembly.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the county attorney of the appropriate county shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for each question to be voted on in a single county or part of a county, except a question covered by paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the information required under subsection (b) of this section has not been timely certified under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the clerk of the circuit court for the jurisdiction shall prepare and certify that information to the State Board not later than the first Friday in August.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>On or before July 1 immediately preceding a general election, the municipal attorney of the appropriate municipal corporation shall prepare and certify to the State Board the information required under subsection (b) of this section for each question to be voted on in the municipal corporation, except a question covered by paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If the information required under subsection (b) of this section has not been timely certified under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which the municipal corporation is located shall prepare and certify that information to the State Board not later than the first Friday in August.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The State Board shall make the information submitted in accordance with this subsection available to the public for a 15–day comment period.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>On or before the fourth day immediately following the end of the comment period required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the person required to prepare a question under paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>review the comments received during the comment period and make any necessary changes to the question; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>submit the certified plain text of the question to the State Board for publication on its website under § 9–207 of this article.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The information required under subsection (b) of this section for a question that is being placed on the ballot by petition may be prepared before the petition is certified under § 6–208 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each statewide question and each question relating to an enactment of the General Assembly which is petitioned to referendum shall be assigned a numerical identifier in the following order:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>by years of sessions of the General Assembly at which enacted; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for each such session, by chapter numbers of the Session Laws of that session.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A question that has been referred to the voters of one county or part of one county pursuant to an enactment of the General Assembly shall be assigned an alphabetical identifier in an order established by the State Board.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Questions certified under subsection (c)(3)(i) or (ii) or (c)(4)(i) or (ii) of this section shall be assigned an alphabetical or alphanumeric identifier in an order established by the certifying authority in consultation with the State Board to prevent duplication or confusion, consistent with and following the questions certified by the State Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
