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Ballot question

Question 1: State employee labor agreements in the Governor's budget (constitutional amendment)

On the ballot in
Maryland
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

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)

A “Yes” vote means

A yes vote requires the Governor's budget to fund the pay and benefits in State employee collective bargaining agreements, whether negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker.

A “No” vote means

A no vote leaves the law about funding agreements between the State and State employees unchanged.

Official plain English statement

A vote FOR this amendment means that the Governor has to include money in the proposed State budget to pay for agreements between the State and its employees. Agreements might include changes to wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Governor must put enough money in the State budget to cover the agreed upon pay and benefits for employees, whether those terms were negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker. A vote AGAINST the amendment means that the law about funding agreements between the State and State employees stays the same.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.