Question 3: Electoral Districts – General Assembly and Congressional Representatives
Statewide — all of Maryland
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Placed on the ballot by the General Assembly during a 2026 special session as Chapter 881 (House Bill 2100); Maryland Matters reported final passage by the Senate 32-13 after the House voted 96-38. The ballot language was rewritten under a September 3, 2026 order of the Supreme Court of Maryland, which kept the question on the ballot, per the State Board of Elections.[1][3]
The question on the ballot
Pursuant to the Supreme Court Order dated September 3, 2026, in Maryland State Board of Elections, et al. v. Lindsay Wheatley, et al. and Maryland State Board of Elections, et al. v. Michael L. Howell, et al., the language of Constitutional Amendment Question 3 now reads: FOR the purpose of clarifying that certain requirements apply only to districts for the election of members of the Senate of Maryland and the House of Delegates; authorizing the General Assembly to grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plan of the State; and providing that nothing in the Maryland Constitution provides applicable criteria for the boundaries of a congressional districting plan. (Amending Article III of the Maryland Constitution)[1]
The amendment would amend Article III of the Maryland Constitution to clarify that certain districting requirements apply only to districts for the Senate of Maryland and the House of Delegates, to authorize the General Assembly to grant the Supreme Court of Maryland original jurisdiction to review the State's congressional districting plan, and to provide that nothing in the Maryland Constitution provides applicable criteria for the boundaries of a congressional districting plan. Maryland Matters reported that the bill that passed does not contain a new map.[1][3]
A YES vote means
A vote For the Constitutional Amendment approves the amendment as worded in the question above.
A NO vote means
A vote Against the Constitutional Amendment rejects it and leaves the Maryland Constitution as it is.
The law today
Article III, Section 4 requires each legislative district to consist of adjoining territory, be compact and of substantially equal population, with due regard to natural boundaries and political subdivision boundaries, and the Supreme Court of Maryland has original jurisdiction to review the legislative district plan on a voter's petition. The Maryland Constitution does not explicitly establish requirements for congressional districts, but the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County held in a March 25, 2022 memorandum opinion that the legislative-district standards also apply to congressional districting. State law does not grant the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to review the congressional districting plan (Chapter 16 of 2022), per the Department of Legislative Services.[5]
Official fiscal estimate
Department of Legislative Services fiscal and policy note on HB 2100 (Third Reader - Revised): the proposed constitutional amendment is not anticipated to materially affect State operations or finances; local effect: none.[5]
Arguments made for
- Gov. Wes Moore (D), in a statement on the Supreme Court of Maryland ruling: "This ruling keeps the power where it belongs: with the voters. I look forward to taking this case directly to the people and campaigning vigorously for a strong YES vote on Question 3 this November."[2]
- Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), responding to Republican claims about the bill, said, as quoted by Maryland Matters: "What it does is keeps existing law whole in that it says that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws are what apply to congressional maps, which is how it had been for hundreds of years in Maryland until a single court case challenged that certainty."[3]
Arguments made against
- Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) said in a July campaign ad, as quoted by Capital News Service via Maryland Matters: "This is a direct assault on the checks and balances meant to protect you from government overreach. Gerrymandering is the ultimate form of voter suppression."[4]
On record in support
On record in opposition
- Sen. Bryan Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) (appeared in a July campaign ad against the amendment)[4]
Research notes & limits
The question text is the State Board of Elections' version as rewritten under the Supreme Court of Maryland's September 3, 2026 order; the Board's page gives no separate plain-language for/against explanation for Question 3, so the yes/no lines are derived from the question text. Maryland publishes no voter pamphlet with arguments; the arguments are statements quoted in the Governor's release and in Maryland Matters. One statement about the legislature's timing (Senate Minority Leader Hershey, 'This was done at the last minute') was removed because it concerns process rather than the amendment; the remaining argument against is a campaign-ad statement by Sen. Simonaire. Two statements are included in favor and one against; no further on-the-record opposition to the amendment's content was found in the sources reviewed. The fiscal note is the Department of Legislative Services' Third Reader - Revised note on HB 2100. Polling was deliberately omitted.
Sources · 5
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Ballot questions for the November 3, 2026 election · Maryland State Board of Elections Official record
- 2.Statement from Governor Wes Moore on the Maryland Supreme Court Redistricting Ruling · Office of the Governor of Maryland · 2026-09-03 Candidate's own words
- 3.Maryland Republicans predict legal challenge to constitutional amendment on redistricting · Maryland Matters · 2026-08-05 News report
- 4.Moore confident Marylanders will check 'yes' on redistricting ballot question · Maryland Matters (Capital News Service) · 2026-09-18 News report
- 5.HB 2100 Fiscal and Policy Note (Third Reader - Revised): Election Districts - General Assembly and Representatives in Congress · Maryland Department of Legislative Services · 2026 Official record