Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment (2026)
| Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State legislative elections |
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| Status Proposed |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
The Maryland Changes to Filling Vacancies in the State Legislature Amendment may appear on the ballot in Maryland as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.[1]
The amendment would amend 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 5 (2026)
The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:
- January 14, 2026: Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) was introduced.[1]
- February 5, 2026: The Maryland State Senate passed the bill by a vote of 43-1.[1]
| Votes Required to Pass: 29 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 43 | 1 | 3 |
| Total % | 91.5 | 2.1 | 6.4 |
| Democratic (D) | 31 | 1 | 2 |
| Republican (R) | 12 | 0 | 1 |
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Maryland.
Explore Maryland's ballot measure history, including
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
