Maryland general election, November 3, 2026
What voters say about Question 3.
Three polls have asked Marylanders about Question 3. Two were paid for by the campaigns and read voters the ballot’s words. One, from UMBC, asked in plain words. The plainer the question, the fewer voters who couldn’t answer.
The polls
I don’t understand the amendment.
The most common answer in the poll for the campaign that supports Question 3. Below, each poll as 100 dots. Gold is undecided.
Supporters’ poll
Asked with the ballot’s own words
- 40 for
- 25 undecided
- 35 against
Opponents’ poll
Asked with the ballot’s own words
- 28 for
- 31 undecided
- 40 against
- 1 not reported
Independent poll
Asked in plain words
- 25 for
- 19 undecided
- 53 against
- 3 not reported
“A vote FOR Question 3 eliminates the state’s requirement that congressional districts be compact and connected, removing constraints on how state lawmakers can draw congressional district lines. A vote AGAINST keeps those requirements in place.”
Read the ballot’s words, and a quarter to a third of voters can’t decide. Asked in plain words, a majority is against it.
The numbers
Side by side.
Who paid, who polled, when, how many, and what they were asked. Each poll has a margin of error of about 4 points; UMBC’s is 3.5.
| Sponsor | For | Against | Undecided | Pollster | Dates | Sample | Asked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fight Back Marylandsupports | 40% | 35% | 25% | Hart Research | Sept. 8–10, 2026 | 600 likely voters | The ballot’s exact words |
| Protect Maryland Votesopposes | 28% | 40% | 31% | Ragnar / Lincoln Park | Sept. 10–13, 2026 | 600 likely voters | The ballot’s exact words |
| UMBC Institute of Politicsindependent | 25% | 53% | 19% | UMBC Poll | Sept. 22–27, 2026 | 776 likely voters | A plain description of each vote |
What UMBC read to voters
“A vote FOR Question 3 eliminates the state’s requirement that congressional districts be compact and connected, removing constraints on how state lawmakers can draw congressional district lines. A vote AGAINST keeps those requirements in place.”
How to read them
Different questions, so not a direct comparison.
What each poll can and can’t tell you.
UMBC asked a different question from the two campaign polls. It read voters a plain description of each vote instead of the ballot’s words. So the numbers aren’t a direct comparison.
Each campaign paid for its own poll. In the Fight Back Maryland poll, support rose to 53% and undecided fell to 11% after voters heard an argument for it. How the question is explained changes the answer.
UMBC reports 97% across its three answers and lists no other category; the dots show the rest as “not reported.” One outlet reported the Protect Maryland Votes poll’s opposition as 41%; Maryland Matters reported 40%, which this site uses.
Keep reading
- The whole storyQuestion 3 taken apart, in plain words, and why we’re against it.
- The textThe ballot wording, the sentence it replaced, the state’s summary and the amendment.
- All three questionsQuestions 1, 2 and 3 as printed, with what each vote does, and the dates to vote.
- The mapHouse Bill 488’s map, county by county, and all eight districts.
- The lawWhat the 2026 law requires, and the dates and votes that put Question 3 past it.
- ResultsStatewide and by county, as the State Board of Elections posts them.
Sources
Every fact on this page is sourced on the whole story’s sources list as well. Quoted wording is in the serif; this site’s own words are in the sans.