{
 "ballot": "Maryland Gubernatorial General Election, Tuesday November 3, 2026. Howard County sample ballot style BS 40, precinct 005-005.",
 "source_pdf": "StateofMarylandMidTermElectionSampleBallot2026_0001.pdf",
 "contests": [
  {
   "id": "q1",
   "kind": "question",
   "title": "Question 1: Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026 (constitutional amendment)",
   "scope": "Statewide (all Maryland voters)",
   "official_text": "Providing that each budget submitted by the Governor shall include proposed expenditures necessary to implement wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment in each collective bargaining memorandum of understanding with State employees, whether the State and State employees reached those terms and conditions by mutual agreement or through a neutral decider's order. (Amending Article III of the Maryland Constitution) FOR: the Governor has to include money in the proposed State budget to pay for agreements between the State and its employees ... whether those terms were negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker. AGAINST: the law about funding agreements between the State and State employees stays the same.",
   "official_summary": "Requires the Governor's annual budget to include the money needed to fund every collective bargaining memorandum of understanding (MOU) with State employees, State higher-education institutions and the Maryland Environmental Service, whether reached by mutual agreement or binding arbitration. Contingent on ratification, Ch. 155 (HB 604) creates binding arbitration at bargaining impasse for State employees (except higher-education employees), with a neutral arbitrator. Matters needing a law change stay contingent on legislation; matters needing money stay contingent on the General Assembly's appropriation; an arbitrator's wage decision is subject to State budget limits.",
   "options": [
    "For",
    "Against"
   ]
  },
  {
   "id": "q2",
   "kind": "question",
   "title": "Question 2: Temporary Appointments on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities (constitutional amendment)",
   "scope": "Statewide (all Maryland voters)",
   "official_text": "Authorizing temporary substitute appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities when a member is recused or disqualified, or when a member's term expires. In these situations, the Commission Chair may recall a former member of the Commission, or the Governor, at the request of the Commission Chair, may appoint a temporary substitute member or extend the term of a current member until a permanent replacement is appointed. Only individuals who meet the constitutional eligibility requirements may be recalled or appointed to the Commission. (Amending Article IV) FOR: temporary appointments are allowed if a member is recused, disqualified, or a member's term ends without a replacement. AGAINST: current membership rules stay the same; temporary appointments are not allowed.",
   "official_summary": "The Commission on Judicial Disabilities investigates complaints against State judges and recommends discipline to the Supreme Court of Maryland. Current law has no provision for its membership when there is a vacancy at the end of an expired term, a recusal, or a disqualification. A temporary substitute must meet the same qualifications as the member replaced, may not have been previously rejected by the Senate for the Commission, and if a judge or attorney must be in good standing with the Maryland bar. Ch. 878 of 2026 (SB 933).",
   "options": [
    "For",
    "Against"
   ]
  },
  {
   "id": "q3",
   "kind": "question",
   "title": "Question 3: Election Districts - General Assembly and Representatives in Congress (constitutional amendment)",
   "scope": "Statewide (all Maryland voters)",
   "official_text": "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)",
   "official_summary": "Article III, Sec. 4 requires each legislative district to be adjoining territory, compact, of substantially equal population, with due regard to natural and political-subdivision boundaries. In a 2022 ruling, the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County held those standards apply to congressional districts too. This amendment would limit Sec. 4 to General Assembly districts, state that nothing in the Maryland Constitution (including the Declaration of Rights) provides criteria for congressional district boundaries, and let the General Assembly give the Supreme Court of Maryland original jurisdiction over congressional-map challenges (today they start in a circuit court). Ch. 881 of 2026 (HB 2100).",
   "options": [
    "For",
    "Against"
   ]
  },
  {
   "id": "qa",
   "kind": "question",
   "title": "Howard County Question A: Gender Neutrality (charter amendment)",
   "scope": "Howard County voters",
   "official_text": "The County Charter uses gender-specific words like 'he' and 'she'. The Charter Amendment would replace these types of words with gender-neutral words like 'they' and 'them'. FOR: makes gender-neutral changes to the Charter. AGAINST: leaves gender-specific words unchanged in the Charter.",
   "official_summary": "",
   "options": [
    "For",
    "Against"
   ]
  },
  {
   "id": "qb",
   "kind": "question",
   "title": "Howard County Question B: Affordable For-Sale Housing Projects (charter amendment)",
   "scope": "Howard County voters",
   "official_text": "The County Charter only allows the County to use its capital budget to finance an affordable housing project in its Housing Opportunities Trust Fund if the County owns the project. The Charter Amendment would change this requirement by allowing the County to use its capital budget to finance some or all of an affordable housing project if the project meets certain criteria. The County is not required to own or construct the project, but the Howard County Housing Commission or another entity controlled by the Housing Commission must own the project. The project must only have housing units for sale. The County would repay the bonds for the project over a defined time period, typically 20-30 years, and the affordable for-sale housing units must remain affordable for that period. FOR: allows the County to use its capital budget to finance these affordable for-sale housing projects. AGAINST: requires these projects to be financed in ways other than the County's capital budget.",
   "official_summary": "",
   "options": [
    "For",
    "Against"
   ]
  },
  {
   "id": "gov",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Governor / Lieutenant Governor",
   "scope": "Statewide",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Wes Moore and Aruna Miller",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Dan Cox and Rob Krop",
     "party": "Republican"
    },
    {
     "name": "Andy Ellis and Owen Silverman Andrews",
     "party": "Green"
    },
    {
     "name": "Cathy White and Cathy Permut",
     "party": "Working Class Party"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "comp",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Comptroller",
   "scope": "Statewide",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Brooke Elizabeth Lierman",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Sonya Dunn",
     "party": "Republican"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "ag",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Attorney General",
   "scope": "Statewide",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Anthony G. Brown",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "James B. Rutledge, III",
     "party": "Republican"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "md3",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "U.S. Representative in Congress, Maryland District 3",
   "scope": "Congressional District 3",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Sarah Elfreth",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Berney Flowers",
     "party": "Republican"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "hod13",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Maryland House of Delegates, District 13",
   "scope": "Legislative District 13 (Howard County)",
   "vote_for": 3,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Amy Brooks",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Pam Lanman Guzzone",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Gabriel Maximilian Moreno",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Mark Fisher",
     "party": "Republican"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "hcexec",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Howard County Executive",
   "scope": "Howard County",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Vanessa Atterbeary",
     "party": "Democratic"
    },
    {
     "name": "Nater Kane",
     "party": "Green"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "boe",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Howard County Board of Education (non-partisan)",
   "scope": "Howard County",
   "vote_for": 2,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Mark E. Covington",
     "party": "Non-partisan"
    },
    {
     "name": "Linda Frascarella",
     "party": "Non-partisan"
    },
    {
     "name": "Lanlan Xu",
     "party": "Non-partisan"
    }
   ],
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "id": "judge",
   "kind": "race",
   "title": "Judge, Appellate Court of Maryland At Large: Dan Friedman (retention, Yes or No for continuance in office)",
   "scope": "Statewide",
   "vote_for": 1,
   "candidates": [
    {
     "name": "Dan Friedman",
     "party": "Non-partisan (judicial retention)"
    }
   ],
   "note": "This is a Yes/No retention vote, not a contest between candidates."
  }
 ],
 "uncontested": [
  {
   "office": "State Senator, District 13",
   "name": "Guy Guzzone",
   "party": "Democratic"
  },
  {
   "office": "County Council, District 4",
   "name": "Janssen Evelyn",
   "party": "Democratic"
  },
  {
   "office": "Judge of the Circuit Court, Circuit 5",
   "name": "Maurice C. Frazier",
   "party": "Non-partisan"
  },
  {
   "office": "State's Attorney",
   "name": "Rich Gibson",
   "party": "Democratic"
  },
  {
   "office": "Clerk of the Circuit Court",
   "name": "Jen Terrasa",
   "party": "Democratic"
  },
  {
   "office": "Register of Wills",
   "name": "Byron E. Macfarlane",
   "party": "Democratic"
  },
  {
   "office": "Sheriff",
   "name": "Marcus Harris",
   "party": "Democratic"
  }
 ]
}