Ballot Measures: Maryland
Published October 24, 2018 / Updated August 30, 2020

Ballot Measures: Maryland

Early voting in Maryland runs from October 25 through November 1

by Chris Thomas

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Photo by William Recinos

Maryland has two ballot measures in play this year. Of these, only one deals with the political process directly.

Elections Etc…

Question 2

If passed, Question 2 would would allow same-day registration to vote on election day. Numerous other states have same-day registration.

Impact: Moderate — Same day registration is a nice insurance policy against voter purges like the ones we’ve seen in Georgia.
Support: Democratic — Every Republican in the Maryland legislature voted against this.

Other Measures…

Question 1

If passed, Question 1 would require that Maryland apply the revenue from the sale of “video lottery” and other gambling licences to education in addition to the amounts already written into Maryland law.

Maryland has had a gaming industry for some years now and the legalization of gambling was sold to the electorate as a way to boost education funding. Critics charge that Maryland has, instead, used gaming revenues as a way to replace money siphoned out of the public school systems and diverted to other projects. Passing Question 1 would force the legislature and governor to consider gaming funds as supplemental to state appropriations.

Impact: Moderate — This isn’t a silver bullet for Maryland’s education funding fight. The legislature can still cut appropriated funding but doing so would be more politically costly.
Support: Nearly unanimous — 100% of the Maryland Senate and 92% of the Maryland House supported this measure in the legislature.

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