MD Ballot Question Three: Removal Of Elected Officials - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

MD Ballot Question Three: Removal Of Elected Officials

MARYLAND - Voters will be faced with more than just the choice of President this November.

Ballot Question #3

This is a possible constitutional amendment that could change the point at which an elected official who's charged with certain crimes is suspended or removed from office.

Currently, there is a two-step process for removing a State or local elected official who, while they're in office, is convicted of or pleads no contest to a crime that is either a felony, or a misdemeanor that is related to the elected official's public duties and responsibilities.

First, if the elected official is convicted or pleads no contest, the official is suspended from office. During the suspension, the elected official may not receive pay or benefits and the office is filled temporarily.

Second, if the conviction is not appealed or is affirmed on appeal, the elected official is removed from office.

If the conviction is reversed or overturned, the elected official is reinstated automatically for the remainder of the term, and all pay and benefits are restored.

Under current law, a "conviction" occurs when someone is sentenced, allowing an elected official who is found guilty or enters a guilty plea to continue in office until the official is sentenced for the crime, which in some cases, could be months later.

Voting "Yes" to the law means a voter agrees that a State or local official who is found guilty should be suspended immediately. They would then be removed from office immediately without the possibility of reinstatement.