Maryland Gov. Moore pushes Question 3 redistricting measure as early voting continues

BOWIE, Md. - As early voting continued across Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore and Democratic leaders gathered Monday morning at a busy Bowie voting site to rally support for Question 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would grant state lawmakers broader authority over congressional redistricting.

What we know:

Organizers from Fight Back Maryland held a 9:30 a.m. rally. The event was part of an organized effort to urge voters to approve the ballot measure, which advocates say is a countermeasure against redistricting efforts in Republican-led states backed by President Donald Trump.

The campaign in favor of Question 3 also received a boost Monday with the release of a 30-second campaign advertisement featuring former President Barack Obama. In the ad, Obama speaks directly to Maryland voters, urging them to vote in favor of the measure.

Question 3 would not immediately enact a new congressional map and does not ask voters to choose new maps. Instead, it would amend the Maryland Constitution to provide state lawmakers with greater latitude in drawing congressional district boundaries. That could clear the way for Democrats to target Maryland's 1st Congressional District, currently represented by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, the state's only Republican in Congress.

What they're saying:

On Monday, Gov. Moore argued that Maryland needs Question 3 to counter GOP redistricting efforts nationwide. 

"Donald Trump thinks that he should be the one to have the final say, and I know in order to get national redistricting reform done, it won't happen if we allow Donald Trump to write the rules now," the governor said. 

Critics oppose Question 3

Opponents argue the change would give politicians more power to draw districts for their own political advantage. Protect Maryland Votes is among opponents who say Question 3 gives Democrats an unfair advantage.

"It's not a good enough reason for me," said Protect Maryland Votes Co-founder Colin Pascal. "In fact, the way I think we stand up to Donald Trump is to not act like Donald Trump. I think when we're doing the same things that Donald Trump is doing, I think we're probably in a bad place."

The way the question is written is also drawing criticism. Some voters said the wording was confusing and unclear. 

"I didn’t think it was particularly clear, had to read it two or three times to make sure what they’re trying to get at here," one voter told FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald. 

"The wording was horrendous; I don’t know who wrote it and I don’t know they wrote it in the form that they did," another said. 

While polls suggest that Gov. Moore is well ahead in his re-election bid against Republican Dan Cox, the same cannot be said about Question 3. A recent poll by the Institute of Politics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) found that 53% of likely voters oppose Question 3. 

Question 3

Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 881 of the 2026 Legislative Session (PDF))

Electoral Districts – General Assembly and Congressional Representatives

Pursuant to the Supreme Court Order dated September 3, 2026, in Maryland State Board of Elections, et al. v. Lindsay Wheatley, et al. and Maryland State Board of Elections, et al. v. Michael L. Howell, et al., the language of Constitutional Amendment Question 3 now reads:

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

NewsMarylandMaryland PoliticsElections