WASHINGTON – The petition drive to repeal Maryland’s gun-control law has fallen short, according to a spokesman for Maryland Secretary of State.

Steve Ackerman told The Washington Post on Saturday that the petition drive, led by the group Free State Petitions, had failed to meet the minimum of 18,579 signatures – the first third of the 55,736 that were ultimately required – by the deadline of midnight Friday night in order to put a repeal question on the 2014 ballot.

The gun-control law bans assault weapons and magazines with more than 10 rounds. Gun buyers are also required to be fingerprinted, have a photo ID and take a safety class.

The Post also reported that Ackerman confirmed that the petition drive to put a repeal of the state’s death-penalty ban has also failed.

The group MDPetitions.com, the Post says, held a news conference on Friday at which they said they had fallen short. Ackerman told the Post that his office had received no petitions on the subject.

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