By Adam Pagnucco.
As first reported by Maryland Matters yesterday, a poll commissioned by Common Cause Maryland has found overwhelming support for special elections to fill state legislative vacancies. I contacted Common Cause Maryland and they graciously provided the results to me.
The poll, conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services, surveyed 818 registered voters from September 18 through 28 who said they are likely to vote in next year’s general election. It has a margin of error of 3.5 points. The poll asked this question:
In Maryland, when a vacancy occurs in the state legislature, the seat is filled by recommendation of the local political party. As a result, nearly a third of current Maryland state legislators were initially appointed to their position, not elected. Do you favor the continuation of this local political party recommendation process, or would you prefer, instead, that special elections be held to fill the vacancy?
Gonzales reported, “Among Maryland voters, 13% favor the continuation of local political party recommendation, while a towering 85% prefer that a special election be held.”
Here are the percentages supporting special elections by demographic group statewide.
Democrat: 82%
Republican: 91%
Independent: 83%
White: 81%
African-American: 89%
Female: 86%
Male: 84%
Age 18-34: 86%
Age 35-49: 85%
Age 50-64: 84%
Age 65 and older: 85%
Here are the percentages supporting special elections by region.
Eastern Shore: 86%
Baltimore City: 70%
Baltimore suburbs: 89%
Washington suburbs: 83%
Western Maryland: 88%
None of this is surprising given that Maryland voters have supported special elections ballot questions over and over for many years. It’s also instructive that special elections in Virginia have regularly attracted thousands of voters over their long history of use.
Senate President Bill Ferguson recently said that our system of filling legislative vacancies must be changed. He is right and Maryland voters are sending a loud and unambiguous message:
We must hold special elections.