Maryland is reacting to Question 3 with all the intensity of a bad case of hay fever. Not since the days of former Gov. Larry Hogan have we seen broad coalitions unite in opposition to such a major crisis. Make no mistake, the appearance of Question 3 on Maryland ballots is a crisis! Every voter should approach the polls with the understanding that if this ballot question succeeds, it will permanently end democracy in Maryland as we know it.
Question 3 does far more than “push back” against President Donald Trump. The proposed amendment permanently removes what few guardrails exist to ensure that no political party ever completely consolidates its power. The measure is being pitched to unsuspecting voters as the proverbial “middle finger” to Trump. However, this is no symbolic gesture. As the amendment is worded, it essentially lets the party in power draw congressional maps however it sees fit to accomplish whatever goals it desires.
In this case, Gov. Wes Moore has been unapologetic about his goal of crushing every voice that does not echo the talking points of the Democratic Party. Like so many people in history who gain a taste of power, he has no tolerance for even a hint of resistance. Maryland’s current House congressional delegation features seven Democrats and one lone Republican. The governor, with the support and affirmation of Senate President Bill Ferguson and Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, wants to crush every hint of resistance. This sentiment alone should raise the hair on the back of every Maryland voter’s neck.
Let’s take a moment to review the brazen political insanity that brought us to this moment. Multiple polls warned that Maryland residents had no interest in joining the “race to the bottom,” which is already showing signs of being a catastrophic waste of time and resources for Republicans. Despite that, Moore pushed ahead with a sham redistricting commission, during which the public testimony overwhelmingly opposed the effort. Ignoring the public input, the governor pushed ahead, recommending a map that notably carves Baltimore into three congressional districts. The governor’s map only failed because Ferguson had the spine to resist the effort. Moore went so far as to bring in House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to twist Ferguson’s arm, which ended in humiliating failure.
That was not the end of the circus, though. After a public tantrum, culminating in Moore’s petty refusal to endorse Ferguson, Moore decided to call a special session. The session did not address critical issues facing Marylanders like energy prices or a spiraling economy. Instead, it rushed through this constitutional amendment, which was defeated twice by two lower courts. The Maryland Supreme Court stunned political analysts by not only overturning the rulings but also rewriting the question to ensure it appeared on ballots for 2026. The outcome was a ballot question so bizarrely byzantine that proponents for the measure grumbled that UMBC’s poll explained the question to people.
The question reads as follows: “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.” This is the language that will be on ballots, despite the General Assembly just passing a law banning confusing questions exactly like this. Even worse, unlike the other two constitutional amendments on the ballot, someone made a decision to not explain the practical implications of the question.
Despite every relentless effort of the governor and his allies to drag Maryland into this national food fight, Maryland voters appear resistant at every turn. Even the most optimistic polls from pollsters aligned with the governor show the measure is unpopular. There is practically no public grassroots support for this and no enthusiasm for supporting the effort. The only advocates are invested political agents trotting out misleading talking points about fighting Trump. The entity organized to shill for the effort is largely fueled by a single half-million-dollar contribution from a national labor organization.
By contrast, the resistance to Question 3 has been intense and spans party lines. The non-partisan group Protect Maryland Votes, led by a Republican, Democrat and independent (myself), has been educating voters since the day the question was announced. The Maryland Freedom Caucus has been fighting the issue from the beginning and showing exceptional discipline and polish in organizing against the ballot question. Maryland Democrats such as Colin Pascal are speaking out and admonishing their fellow Democrats to avoid this course. The Washington Post Editorial Board issued a scathing editorial condemning the effort. This is the second time it weighed in on the subject, with the last entry earning Moore’s ire with a crass “IDGAF” response. It’s extremely refreshing to once again find an issue that Marylanders agree on.
Offering paltry virtue signaling to issue a symbolic challenge to Trump is a poor reason to upend decades of constitutional safeguards. Operatives continue to push this insane idea that “we have to do this!” No, Maryland, we don’t. Question 3 is wrong for Maryland, from any approachable angle. If it helps, since the governor has a pithy slogan, here’s a counter slogan for those who actually care about the state of Maryland. Vote with Snow — Vote No.
Torrey Snow is a columnist and editorial board contributor at The Baltimore Sun and an independent member of the Protect Maryland Votes coalition. He can be reached at tsnow@baltsun.com.