Maryland early voting opens with redistricting on ballot

Maryland early voting opened with more than 16,000 ballots cast statewide by 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, as voters at a Perry Hall community center raised concerns about political division and a ballot question on redistricting. In person early voting in Maryland runs from October 22 through October 29, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. At the Honeygo Community Center in Perry Hall, Baltimore County residents began casting early ballots on Sunday, and the issues on their minds included campaign influence, trust in government and the future shape of congressional districts.

Question 3 is the redistricting measure on the Maryland ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment clarifies that certain standards in the Maryland Constitution apply only to districts used to elect members of the General Assembly. It authorizes the General Assembly to grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plan of the state, and it requires the criteria for boundaries of congressional districts to be determined by applicable federal laws. In plain terms, a vote for the amendment would give state lawmakers more ability to draw congressional districts on partisan lines, while a vote against would keep the current redistricting rules in place.

What Maryland early voting showed in Perry Hall

Manuel Mastromanolis, who voted in Perry Hall, said he was troubled by growing division in the country. He also criticized the role of political contributions and a lack of communication in the political system. Michael Casserly, another Perry Hall voter, said district boundaries should not be drawn to advantage one political party over another. Casserly also said voters expect elected officials to follow through on campaign promises, including commitments about war and the economy. Those comments do not settle the outcome of Question 3, but they show how the redistricting question connects in voters minds to wider questions about representation and public trust. Early voting gives Maryland residents a chance to cast ballots before Election Day, and the Perry Hall accounts suggest that the ballot questions, rather than a single candidate race, were a focus for at least some early voters.

The path of Question 3 to the ballot was contested. Maryland lawmakers held a special session in August to add Question 3 to the ballot, but Republican groups filed a lawsuit against it. The suit argued that the legislature missed a July deadline and that the language of the question was confusing. The case reached the Maryland Supreme Court in September, when the court ruled that the question could remain on the ballot but must be reworded with different language. Polling has shown confusion about the measure. A survey from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Institute of Politics found 53 percent of 776 polled likely voters planned to vote against Question 3, while 25 percent said they supported it and 19 percent said they were unsure. The survey was conducted from September 22 to 27 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

How Question 3 could change redistricting in Maryland

Supporters and opponents describe the stakes of Question 3 in different ways, but the state summary sets out a clear practical point. The amendment is intended to clear the way for lawmakers to draw more partisan congressional districts, after a judge previously cited state constitutional language to reject a proposed congressional map. Reporting on the measure notes that passage could allow a legislative redraw that eliminates the seat held by Representative Andy Harris, the sole Republican in the Maryland congressional delegation, whose district covers the Eastern Shore and parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Harford counties.

Mail in ballot requests close October 27 for mailed ballots and October 30 for print at home ballots. Mailed ballots must be postmarked or placed in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Former President Barack Obama has urged Maryland voters to back the ballot measure, according to NBC News, arguing that it would open the door to Democratic redistricting in the state. That national attention sits alongside the local picture in Perry Hall, where early voters spoke about division and about whether district lines serve voters or parties. Maryland early voting continues through Thursday, and the result on Question 3 will decide whether the next congressional map is drawn under the current state rules or under the looser framework the amendment would create.