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Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment (2026)
| Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2026 | |
| Topic State legislatures measures | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment is not on the ballot in Maryland as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.[1]
The amendment would have amended the Maryland Constitution to require that state legislative vacancies occurring on or before 55 days from the candidate filing deadline be filled through special primary and general elections that align with the state's regular primary and general elections.[2]
Text of measure
Full text
The full text can be read here.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Maryland Constitution
Amending the Maryland Constitution
- See also: Amending the Maryland Constitution
A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Maryland State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 85 votes in the Maryland House of Delegates and 29 votes in the Maryland State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Senate Bill 2 (2025)
The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:
- January 8, 2025: Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) was introduced.[1]
- February 27, 2025: The Maryland State Senate passed the bill by a vote of 44-2.[1]
- April 7, 2025: The legislature adjourned without taking the final vote on the amendment.[1]
| Vote in the Maryland State Senate | |||
| Requirement: Three-fifths (60 percent) vote of all members in each chamber | |||
Number of yes votes required: 29  | |||
| Yes | No | Not voting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 44 | 2 | 1 |
| Total percent | 93.6% | 4.3% | 2.1% |
| Democrat | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| Republican | 12 | 1 | 0 |
See also
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External links
Footnotes
