Filed Date: July 28, 2020
Closed Date: Aug. 28, 2020
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This is a case challenging Maryland’s mayoral signature gathering requirements in light of COVID-19. On July 28th, 2020, a prospective, unaffiliated candidate for mayor of Baltimore filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, seeking to relax Maryland’s signature gathering requirements for the upcoming November 2020 election. Represented by private counsel, the prospective candidate sued the Maryland Secretary of State under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and state law, alleging violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments as well as Maryland's Constitution. The plaintiff sought a preliminary injunction allowing him to satisfy a lower burden (0.1% of the Baltimore City population, or about 400 signatures) than the current election laws permit (0.5% or about 2000 signatures), and an order that his name be placed on the ballot for the 2020 General Election. The case was initially assigned to District Judge Catherine C. Blake, and then reassigned to District Judge Richard D. Bennett.
The prospective candidate was unsuccessful in his bid to get an injunction to change the signature requirements. The court denied his motion for preliminary injunction on July 31, 2020. In a memorandum opinion, the court cited already relaxed requirements (i.e. changing the requirement from “wet” signatures to digital signatures in April 2020 and halving the total requirement from 1% to 0.5% in July 2020) as rationale for denying the injunction. On balance, the court concluded that further relaxing of the requirements would not benefit the public interest and that the plaintiff’s complaint was unlikely to succeed on the merits. 475 F. Supp. 3d 456.
After the injunction was denied, the plaintiff settled with the Secretary of State out of court in a private agreement. Despite the settlement agreement, the plaintiff did not appear on the November 2020 ballot. The case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Brendan Sullivan (2/13/2022)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17391039/parties/dhillon-v-wobensmith/
Bennett, Richard D. (Maryland)
Chhabra, Mandeep S. (Maryland)
Greenberg, Lawrence S. (Maryland)
Trento, Andrea William (Maryland)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17391039/dhillon-v-wobensmith/
Last updated April 23, 2025, 10:56 a.m.
State / Territory: Maryland
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Healthy Elections COVID litigation tracker
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 28, 2020
Closing Date: Aug. 28, 2020
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Prospective Mayoral Candidate
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Ex parte Young (federal or state officials)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Substantive Due Process
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Issues
Voting: