Maryland general election, November 3, 2026
The text of Question 3, word for word.
Here is the question as it prints on your ballot, the sentence the court replaced, the state’s official summary, and what the amendment adds to the constitution. Quoted wording is in the serif. This site’s own words are in the sans.
On the ballot
The question, as printed.
69 words, one sentence. Nothing on the ballot says what a vote for or against would do. Questions 1 and 2 on the same ballot do.
(Ch. 881 of the 2026 Legislative Session)
Election Districts – General Assembly and Representatives in Congress
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)
- For the Constitutional Amendment
- Against the Constitutional Amendment
In this site’s words, not the ballot’s
What your vote does.
- A vote FOR
- The state constitution would set no rules for drawing districts for Congress. Lawmakers could send any court case over the map straight to the state’s top court.
- A vote AGAINST
- Districts for Congress must still be connected, compact and equal in population, and respect county lines. Those are the rules a judge used to throw out a map in 2022. A court case over the map still starts in a local court.
The same sentence in plain wordsToday the state constitution has rules for drawing districts. Districts must be compact, connected and hold about the same number of people. Question 3 changes the constitution so that those rules apply only to districts for the state Senate and House. Districts for Congress would no longer have to follow them. Lawmakers could send any court case over the map straight to the state’s top court. And no part of the state constitution would set any rules for the map for Congress.
Take it apart phrase by phrase on the main page.
Before the court
The sentence it replaced.
The General Assembly wrote this version in August. Two judges ruled against it. On September 3 the Supreme Court of Maryland found its last clause misleading and put the bill’s own purpose paragraph on the ballot instead.
The proposed Constitutional Amendment clarifies that certain standards in the Maryland Constitution apply only to districts used to elect members of the General Assembly; authorizes the General Assembly to grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plan of the State; and requires the criteria for boundaries of congressional districts to be determined by applicable federal laws.
- Judge Robert Thompson, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, Aug. 26, 2026
- “is intentionally misleading” (on the word “clarifies”; he also noted the posted question “does not include an explanation of a vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ the Constitutional Amendment.”)
- Supreme Court of Maryland, per curiam order, Sept. 3, 2026
- “is misleading, is not set forth in the purpose paragraph of Chapter 881, and violates due process rights” (on the clause “requires the criteria for boundaries of congressional districts to be determined by applicable federal laws.” The court put the bill’s purpose paragraph on the ballot instead.)
- Justice Steven Gould, joined by Senior Justice Glenn Harrell, dissenting, Sept. 3, 2026
- “Maryland voters reading it would not understand that the criteria being removed include the guarantees of the Declaration of Rights.” (on the rewritten question, which he wrote “remains misleading.”)
The state’s summary
The official summary, which is not on the ballot.
Written by the Department of Legislative Services and approved by the Attorney General. It is published online for voters. It is not printed on the ballot.
This constitutional amendment would clarify that the districting standards in Article III, § 4 of the Maryland Constitution apply only for the election of members of the Senate of Maryland and House of Delegates.
Currently, under Article III, § 4 of the Maryland Constitution, each legislative district must consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and of substantially equal population. Additionally, due regard is to be given to natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions. In a 2022 ruling, the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County held that those districting standards apply to congressional districts as well as districts for the election of members of the General Assembly.
Additionally, the constitutional amendment would establish that nothing in the Maryland Constitution, including the Declaration of Rights, provides applicable criteria for the boundaries of a congressional districting plan.
Finally, the constitutional amendment would grant the General Assembly the power to grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plans of the State. Under current law, a legal challenge brought in State court to a congressional districting plan must be made in a Maryland circuit court.
The amendment
What it adds to the constitution.
Chapter 881 changes Article III in three places. The ballot sentence describes them in 69 words; here they are one at a time.
- Section 4Gains the words “for the election of a member of the Senate and members of the House of Delegates.” Its rules, that districts consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form and of substantially equal population, with due regard for natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions, would apply to those districts only.
- New Section 62(A)The General Assembly may grant original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court of Maryland to review the congressional districting plan. Today a challenge in state court starts in a circuit court.
- New Section 62(B)
Nothing in this article or elsewhere in this Constitution, including the Declaration of Rights, provides applicable criteria for the boundaries of a congressional districting plan.
- Read the full amendmentChapter 881, the exact constitutional text Question 3 would add. PDF, Maryland General Assembly.
- Read the state’s summaryThe official summary of all three questions, approved by the Attorney General. PDF, State Board of Elections.
- See your own sample ballotLook yourself up to view your ballot and check your registration. State Board of Elections.
Keep reading
- The whole storyQuestion 3 taken apart, in plain words, and why we’re against it.
- All three questionsQuestions 1, 2 and 3 as printed, with what each vote does, and the dates to vote.
- PollsAll three polls, with their numbers, dates and wording.
- 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
Question 3: text, summary and courts
- State Board of Elections, 2026 specimen ballot (Kent County)
- General Assembly, Chapter 881 (House Bill 2100), full amendment text
- Department of Legislative Services, 2026 ballot question summaries
- Supreme Court of Maryland, order, Sept. 3, 2026
- Order and dissent, Sept. 3, 2026 (State Court Report)
- Anne Arundel County Circuit Court opinion, Aug. 26, 2026
- State Court Report case tracker, Question 3 cases
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.