In Maryland, the number of signatures required for an independent to make the statewide ballot this year was 34,713. One candidate has submitted over 77,000 signatures. A validity rate of just 50% would be enough to guarantee his ballot status.

On June 25, S. Rob Sobhani filed approximately 77,000 signatures in order to be on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate. He is an expert on the Middle East and has written two books. His web page is robsobhani.com. That is not a campaign web page, just a personal web page with information about him. Thanks to Bob Johnston for this news. The State Board of Elections has had to work very hard on validating this petition. The validation process is still not complete. If the petition is valid, Sobhani will be the first statewide independent candidate to qualify since Ross Perot in 1992.

Sobhani is an Iranian-American who has previously made two runs for office, both for US Senate in Maryland, as a Republican. He lost to Alan Keyes in 1992 and to Paul Rappaport in 2000.