The Committee to Control MoCo Spending wanted to put a referendum on the November ballot to curb county budgets. Last week, following review by the Board of Elections, the petition was denied due to a lack of sufficient verifiable signatures.
Believing they still had enough valid signers to meet the 10,000 signature quota, the Committee took the petition to court for further scrutiny.
On Thursday in County Circuit Court in Rockville, Assistant Judge Marybeth Ayres seconded the original opinion. Presenting a thorough page-by-page account of her judgment, Ayres found recurring problems with the final 300 plus signatures needed.
Citing illegibility and conflicting dates of signing and certification, the judge reaffirmed the decision by the Board of Elections that insufficient valid signatures were submitted.
In her denial, the judge stated, “The Board of Elections’ ultimate conclusion is supported by substantial evidence that the Committee did not meet the 10,000-signature standard.”
In response, the Committee issued a press release stating, “The Board of Elections and the Court should err on the side of giving the voters an opportunity to vote on this important issue.”
The release noted rejection of signatures was based on reasons like “handwriting, missing initials, and other technical issues.”
The Committee recognized the burden of the Board of Elections to review thousands of signatures in 20 days. It further suggested the petition process be streamlined to allow electronic signatures as is done for voter registration.
In summary, the press release stated, “We respect the Court’s decision, although we are disappointed that Montgomery County voters will not have the opportunity to decide this issue on the November ballot. We remain committed to responsible County spending and intend to begin collecting signatures for the 2028 ballot in early 2027.”
