Background
Moisette I. Sweat, an unaffiliated candidate for Prince George’s County Executive in the 2026 general election, sought ballot access through nomination by petition. Maryland law required her to submit valid signatures from 1% of eligible registered voters for the office; the required total was 6,531 signatures.
Sweat filed 6,743 signatures. The Prince George’s County Board of Elections found 1,316 invalid, leaving her below the required threshold. Sweat sued for declaratory and injunctive relief. After a September 3 bench trial, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County concluded that the evidence was insufficient to determine whether the Board had rejected valid signatures that would have qualified Sweat for the ballot.
The Court’s Holding
In a per curiam order, the Supreme Court of Maryland affirmed. It held that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in finding the record insufficient to establish that Sweat qualified for the November 2026 general-election ballot.
The court therefore left in place the denial of Sweat’s requested relief. Costs were assessed against Sweat, and the mandate was ordered to issue immediately.
Key Takeaways
- A petition candidate must prove enough valid signatures to meet Maryland’s statutory ballot-access threshold.
- The circuit court could deny relief where the record did not establish that rejected signatures were valid and outcome-determinative.
- The Supreme Court affirmed on abuse-of-discretion review and did not order Sweat placed on the ballot.
Why It Matters
The expedited order preserves the election board’s determination that Sweat did not qualify by petition for the 2026 general-election ballot. It also underscores that a candidate challenging signature invalidations must present sufficient evidence to show that the disputed signatures would satisfy the statutory threshold.