Politics
Maryland early voting begins with debate over congressional map amendment
Voting opened quietly across Maryland, while supporters and opponents of Question 3 made competing appeals over whether the proposed constitutional amendment would protect voters or enable partisan gerrymandering. If approved, it could make it easier for the party in power to draw congressional districts that favor its candidates, with changes taking effect no earlier than 2027.
Maryland’s early voting opened Thursday with short lines and a largely calm process inside polling centers, but the proposed congressional redistricting amendment known as Question 3 drew sharply different arguments outside voting sites in Montgomery and Baltimore counties.
At the Silver Spring Civic Building, Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic officials urged voters to support the measure, linking it to efforts by President Donald Trump and Republican-led states to reshape election rules and congressional maps.
“Question 3 is about making sure that Marylanders are in charge of our democracy and not Washington, D.C.,” Moore said. He argued that Trump has sought to restrict mail-in voting and push mid-decade redistricting in Republican states.
About 48 miles north, at Honeygo Community Center in Baltimore County, Republican Del. Kathy Szeliga urged voters to reject the amendment. Signs outside called on voters to “stop gerrymandering” and protect their political voice.
“If you don’t want partisan, political gerrymandering, you need to say no,” Szeliga said. She also criticized the ballot question’s complexity, saying voters might need a law degree to understand it.
Question 3 would amend the Maryland Constitution to change the rules governing congressional district maps, making it easier for the party in control to draw a map that benefits it. Seven of Maryland’s eight U.S. House seats are currently held by Democrats; Republican Rep. Andy Harris represents the Eastern Shore-centered 1st District.
The measure is the latest chapter in a yearlong dispute over whether Maryland should redraw its congressional map midway through the decade, responding to Republican-led states that had undertaken partisan redistricting. The General Assembly approved the ballot question during a special session in August. Two circuit court judges struck it down, and the Supreme Court of Maryland agreed the wording was misleading. In September, a divided court rewrote the question and allowed it to go before voters.
If voters approve it, the new rules would take effect in the 2027 legislative session and would not affect congressional elections before 2028.
Some voters interviewed Thursday said they supported Question 3 as a response to Trump and Republican redistricting efforts. Lee Holland, a Baltimore County Democrat voting at Honeygo, said he supported Moore. Vanessa Davis, a 71-year-old Montgomery County Democrat, said she viewed the measure as a way to push back against the Trump administration.
A poll released earlier this month found more voters opposed Question 3 than supported it. With few competitive contests expected this fall, the measure is poised to draw significant attention in the weeks before Election Day.
Voters are also choosing whether to reelect Moore or back Republican Dan Cox, in a rematch of their 2022 race, and will decide contests for attorney general, comptroller, all eight U.S. House seats and the 188-member General Assembly.
Maryland has 94 early voting centers this year, with some counties opening an additional site. Early voting continues through Oct. 29, with polls open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day is Nov. 3. First-day turnout figures were not immediately available Thursday evening; nearly 45,000 people voted on the first day of early voting in 2022.