Non-Tawes political notes: campaign finance miscreants, election timetable, new TV ads, new area code and more

About 15% of candidates for state and local offices failed to file their most recent campaign finance statements, which were due with the Maryland State Board of Elections on Aug. 30, on time. That’s almost twice the percentage of candidates that usually fail to meet the campaign finance reporting deadline, Jared DeMarinis, director of candidacy and campaign finance at the State Board of Elections, told board members Wednesday. Those latest campaign finance statements, known as “pre-general 1” reports, cover fundraising and spending activity from July 4 to Aug. 23 — a period that included the two weeks before the July 19 primaries and the month that followed them. DeMarinis said candidates fail to file their campaign reports on time for a variety of reasons, but that the number usually spikes immediately after a primary.