{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-election-law-16-401","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Election Law § 16–401","heading":"","body":"(a) A person may not willfully and knowingly:\n(1) give, transfer, promise, or offer anything of value for the purpose of inducing another person to sign or not sign any petition;\n(2) request, receive, or agree to receive, anything of value as an inducement to sign or not to sign any petition;\n(3) misrepresent any fact for the purpose of inducing another person to sign or not to sign any petition;\n(4) sign the name of any other person to a petition;\n(5) falsify any signature or purported signature to a petition;\n(6) obtain, or attempt to obtain, any signature to a petition by fraud, duress, or force;\n(7) circulate, cause to be circulated, or file with an election authority a petition that contains any false, forged, or fictitious signatures;\n(8) sign a petition that the person is not legally qualified to sign;\n(9) sign a petition more than once; or\n(10) alter any petition after it is filed with the election authority.\n(b) Each violation of this section shall be considered a separate offense.\n(c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to the penalties provided in Subtitle 10 of this title.","path":["Article - Election Law"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gel\u0026section=16-401","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:57:47Z","sha256":"8b3b958459f09627e44395e4307062216549dd97b14d04c60fe7c46060c72c5f","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-election-law-16-304","next":"us-md/md.-code-election-law-16-501"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}