Marylanders support special elections to fill state legislative vacancies

On Tuesday we released a new poll which found that 85% percent of Marylanders favor special elections to fill state legislative vacancies, a  result that held across demographics. The release came  after the 10th state legislator resigned since the 2022 elections and Senate President Ferguson publicly called for an alternative to the appointment process. Because of the appointment process, 23 percent of current legislators serving in the Maryland General Assembly were not originally elected to their seats.

A recent Gonzales poll found 85% of Marylanders favor special elections to fill legislative vacancies; only 13% favor continuing the practice of having local political party leaders fill vacancies. The results held across demographics. #MDpolitics https://t.co/UyGws6uaOc pic.twitter.com/ma4nnITUi3

— Maryland PIRG (@MarylandPIRG) October 12, 2023