There are three constitutional amendments on the 2026 Maryland Ballot. If you are confused by these, here is some additional information:
QUESTION 1 – Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 155 of the 2026 Legislative Session) Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026
Providing that each budget submitted by the Governor shall include proposed expenditures necessary to implement wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment in each collective bargaining memorandum of understanding with State employees, whether the State and State employees reached those terms and conditions by mutual agreement or through a neutral decider’s order.
Voting FOR means “Yes, adopt this new requirement.”
- The governor must include enough money in the proposed state budget to cover state employees’ negotiated pay, benefits, and other employment terms including wages, hours, fringe benefits, and health benefits, agreed to in each memorandum of understanding (MOU) or binding arbitration between the state, state institutions of higher education, the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), and their respective state employees and
- It also changes the rules for how the state and its employees resolve disagreements over pay, benefits, and working conditions. Specifically, If the state and employees’ representatives cannot agree, an independent decision-maker can settle the dispute instead of leaving negotiations unresolved.” The related changes are part of the Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026.
- That required budget inclusion also applies when the terms are decided by a neutral arbitrator—an independent decision-maker who settles a bargaining dispute—instead of agreed upon by both sides. That is how the Maryland State Board of Elections explains the amendment. [elections….ryland.gov]
- The key distinction: It requires the governor to propose the funding; it does not automatically give every employee a raise or bypass the legislature’s budget approval process.
Voting AGAINST keeps the current law rejects the proposed constitutional requirement that the governor include funding in the proposed state budget for state employee pay, benefits, and other employment terms—whether negotiated or decided by a neutral arbitrator. The official explanation from the Maryland State Board of Elections describes an AGAINST vote as leaving the existing funding law unchanged.
QUESTION 2 – Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 878 of the 2026 Legislative Session) Temporary Appointments on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities
Maryland’s 2026 Question 2 would amend the state constitution to allow temporary appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities when a member is recused, disqualified, or their term expires, letting the Commission Chair recall a former member or request the Governor to appoint a temporary substitute or extend a current member’s term.
What the Amendment Does
Creates a mechanism for temporary replacements on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities so that the Commission can continue operating without delays.
Allows the Commission Chair to:
- Recall a former eligible member to fill a temporary vacancy.
- Ask the Governor to appoint a temporary substitute or extend a current member’s term until a permanent replacement is confirmed. civicbury.com
- Temporary members must meet the same constitutional qualifications as permanent members (e.g., judges and attorneys must be in good standing with the Maryland Bar). Ballotpedia
- Prohibits anyone previously rejected by the Maryland Senate from being appointed as a temporary member.
Why This Matters
The Commission investigates complaints against Maryland judges and needs a quorum that includes at least one judge, one attorney, and one public member. Vacancies or recusals can halt its work.
Current rules require vacancies to be filled only by the Governor with Senate consent, which can take time. This amendment provides faster, temporary solutions to keep the Commission functioning. Ballotpedia
A Vote FOR this amendment
- allows for temporary appointments when a member is recused, disqualified, or their term ends without a replacement.
- Lets the Chair recall former members or request the Governor to appoint substitutes or extend terms.
- Ensures the Commission can continue its oversight work without interruption.
A Vote AGAINST this amendment
- keeps current rules: allowing no temporary appointments.
- Vacancies continue to delay Commission operations until a permanent replacement is appointed.
QUESTION 3- Constitutional Amendment, Election Districts – General Assembly and Representatives in U.S. Congress
The amendment, which would make clear that Maryland’s constitutional redistricting rules for state legislative districts do not apply to U.S. congressional districts, was passed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly in August 2026.
The change is significant only for US congressional redistricting:
Under current law, a 2022 circuit court ruling held that the same constitutional standards applied to U.S. congressional districts.
Question 3 would withdraw those standards from congressional districts, giving the Maryland General Assembly more flexibility in drawing U.S. House maps.
Supporters, including labor unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups and Democratic leaders, argue the amendment:
- Prevents courts from applying state legislative redistricting rules to congressional maps, which could block a new map before the 2028 election.
- Allows Maryland to counter attempted gerrymandering strategies nationwide.
- Does not draw districts itself, but clarifies constitutional standards.
What your vote does
A vote FOR this amendment means that the three changes above are added to the Maryland Constitution: state districting criteria apply only to state legislative districts, the legislature may grant the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over congressional map challenges, (meaning the case could start there in the Supreme Court, rather than first going through a lower court and the constitution disclaims setting congressional district criteria itself.
A vote AGAINST this amendment means that the amendment is not added, and the current framework stands —currently, the Maryland Constitution does not expressly set congressional district standards, however, a 2022 circuit court ruling held that state legislative standards apply to congressional districting, and the state Supreme Court has no original jurisdiction to review a congressional map, it must wait for the case to come from a lower court.
A Key Distinction: Without this amendment, a court could use the existing state constitutional standards to reject a future congressional map, and the Maryland Supreme Court would have no jurisdiction to review the map. It does not mean the amendment itself approves or creates a new map.
Please read the amendments carefully on your sample ballots and do any necessary research to clarify what these amendments really mean before you go to the polls. Early voting starts October 22 and extends through October 29.
To find an early voting location, you can text EV and your ZIP code to 77788. (Command available October 22-29).
Check your registration information including polling place, voting districts, and sample ballot at: