ANNAPOLIS, MD, December 16, 2002 - Last week the Maryland Board of Elections certified that the Maryland Green Party had submitted enough valid signatures in order to remain a political party in the state of Maryland.

"This is an important step for the Green Party. We are committed to running candidates in local and statewide elections in Maryland, and this shows that we are here to stay." stated Isaac Opalinsky, one of the co-chairs of the Maryland Green Party. In addition to allowing Maryland voters to affiliate with the Green Party and candidates to run as Greens, completion of this petition drive will guarantee a ballot line for the Green Party's 2004 Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.

In 2002, the Greens fielded 10 candidates, six of whom gained ballot access. Linda Schade, candidate for Delegate in District 20 earned the votes of approximately 35% of all those casting ballots. Write-in candidate for Comptroller, Beth Hufnagel, received over 3,500 votes - a remarkably strong showing for a candidate whose name was not on the ballot. The Maryland Greens fielded a total of four candidates for the House of Delegates, three candidates for county offices and one candidate for Congress.

In 2001, Isaac Opalinsky of Annapolis garnered 43% of the vote in his bid for Annapolis City Council as the states first local Green candidate on the ballot in Maryland. The Maryland Green Party was first recognized in 2000, given a boost from the volunteer energy surrounding Ralph Nader's Presidential bid. That year, Ralph Nader and his running mate, Winona LaDuke were the only Green candidates on Maryland ballots.

"We've already proven ourselves to be a major force in a number of Maryland elections, and it is going to get hard for the two major parties to stay in control. The 2002 election results demonstrate that voters are eager to consider the alternatives," said co-chair Patricia Cruz.

On December12, the Maryland State Board of Elections certified that the Maryland Green Party had submitted 11,264 valid signatures of registered voters. That total was more than the required 10,000 signatures necessary to continue the Green Party's status as a qualified political party in Maryland. Green Party volunteers collected the signatures over the past 12 months. Many of those same volunteers also collected thousands of signatures to place the Green Party's state and local candidates on the Maryland ballot.

Under Maryland Election Law, even after an alternative political party has gained qualified status, it faces decertification within a few years unless it either submits a new petition containing signatures from 10,000 registered voters (as the Green Party has just done) or fields a gubernatorial or presidential candidate who receives at least 1% of the vote. An especially peculiar provision of Maryland Election Law provides that a political party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties is not allowed to nominate its own candidates for office (other than the presidential ticket), despite having gathered the many thousands of signatures necessary to become a qualified political party. Under that law, Green Party candidates, in addition to winning the Green Party's own nomination, must also seek nomination to the ballot by completing petition drives to gather the signatures of 1% of all registered voters in that candidate's district. The Maryland Green Party is currently challenging the constitutionality of the candidate petition signature requirement in a case before the Maryland Court of Appeals.

CONTACT: Isaac Opalinsky
Co-Chair Maryland Green Party
410-533-7171, isaac@mdgreens,org