What is this change about? This petition is to request a change in Maryland's  Democratic Central Committee bylaws. 

What does the Central Committee do?Each Maryland county and Baltimore City has its own local central committee to manage party affairs in its jurisdiction. Central Committee members are elected at primary elections every four years. Any registered Democrat can run for a seat on his or her county’s central committee. To advance the party’s principles and help elect Democrats to public office, committee members register and assist voters, staff events, work at polls and phone banks, raise funds and resources, and support the party organization. In addition, the committee recommends appointments to the Governor for the county board of elections, and helps to fill vacancies in certain elected offices.

Why is this important? When a vacancy for a Maryland state legislator opens up, the State's constitution allows Central Committee members to fill the vacancy without holding a special election. While this may be cost effective, in practice Central Committee members often appoint themselves. In Montgomery County, a third of our state legislators were appointed to their current positions and 5 were Central Committee members when they were appointed.  The practice of committee members appointing themselves is anti-democratic on its face. Allowing committee members to appoint themselves creates a back door to elected office and bypasses the will of the voters.  It's also a conflict of interest because well-qualified candidates are not given a true opportunity.

How can you make a difference? I am a newly elected member of Montgomery County's Central Committee. I was elected on a platform to end this practice. I need 5,000 signatures on this petition that seeks to change the Central Committee's bylaws to prohibit Central Committee members from appointing themselves to the state legislature.  If they want an appointment, they should resign first.

Act now! Signing the petition will send your signature directly to the members of the Montgomery County Central Committee in support of my reform.  By doing so, you will help push for change.