# Question P

Elections in Maryland :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1788–89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1788
1790
1791
1793
1793 sp
1795
1796
1796 sp
1797 sp
1800 sp
1801 sp
1802
1806
1806 sp
1808
1809
1813 sp
1816 sp
1819
1819 sp
1821
1822 sp
1825
1826 sp
1827
1831
1833
1835 sp
1836 sp
1837
1838 sp
1839
1839 sp
1841 sp
1843
1849
1850 sp
1851
1855
1861
1864 sp
1865 sp
1868 sp
1874
1878
1880
1884
1886
1890
1892
1892 sp
1896
1898
1902
1904
1908
1908 sp
1910
1913 sp
1916
1914
1920
1922
1928
1926
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1789
1790
1791
3rd sp
1792
1793
2nd sp
1794
2nd sp
3rd sp
1796
2nd sp
3rd sp
1798
7th sp
1801
1802
2nd sp
1803
1804
4th sp
1806
7th sp
1808
1810
4th sp
7th sp
1811
6th sp
1812
1814
1816
3rd sp
5th sp
1818
1820
1822
1823
5th sp
1824
1826
2nd sp
1829
1831
1832
6th sp
1833
1834
1st sp
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1844
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1st sp
1894
1st sp
5th sp
1896
1898
1900
1st sp
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1913
3rd sp
1914
1st sp
1916
1918
2nd sp
1920
1922
1924
5th sp
1926
1928
1930
1932
4th sp
1934
1936
1938
1939
1st sp
5th sp
1940
1941
6th sp
1942
1944
1946
1947
3rd sp
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1971
1st sp
1972
1973
1st sp
1974
1976
1978
1980
1981
5th sp
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
7th sp
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
4th sp
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
7th sp
2022
2024
6th
2026 :
State government
General elections
2006
2010
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1838
1841
1844
1847
1850
1853
1857
1861
1864
1867
1871
1875
1879
1883
1887
1891
1895
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1969 sp
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney General elections
1895
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1996
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Comptroller elections
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1996
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Senate elections
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
House of Delegates elections
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
County government
County executive elections
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2025 sp
County offices
2006
2010
2018
2022 :
Ballot measures
1992
Question 6
2012
Question 4
Question 6
2022
Question 4
2024
Question 1 :
Annapolis
Mayoral elections
2017
2021
2025 :
Baltimore
Mayoral elections
1899
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003–04
2007
2011
2016
2020
2024
Ballot measures
Question P :
Government :
vte :
Question P was a Baltimore City referendum issue on the November 5, 2002, General Election ballot in which voters overwhelmingly approved reducing the size of the Baltimore City Council from 18 council members to 14 members, each to be elected by a different local district.

## Background

Question P was approved by the voters of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., in November 2002 and took effect in the 2004 election. The ballot initiative proposed "that the City Council consists of 14 members, each to be elected from a different district, and a Council President, to be elected Citywide." Baltimore City had previously had six council districts, each electing three council members. These 18 members, plus one City Council President elected at-large made up the body's 19 seats, cut from 21 to 19 in 1967. Question P amended the City Charter, restructuring the Council into 14 single-member districts, and retained the provision for an at-large Council President to be elected to preside over the body and function as a 15th member in voting.

## In favor of Question P

The effort to gather the 10,000 signatures required to put Question P on the ballot was spearheaded by Community and Labor United for Baltimore (CLUB), a grassroots coalition of community groups and labor unions. Members of CLUB included organizations such as the League of Women Voters, AFSCMETooltip American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees—a national association for labor unions of public sector employees, and ACORNTooltip Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now's Baltimore chapter—a collection of local community organizations that advocate for low-income families and people living in poverty. Two members of the Maryland legislature from Baltimore City, Delegates Jill P. Carter and Curt Anderson, also supported Question P. Both Carter and Anderson did radio commercials that aired on Baltimore radio stations prior to the election. CLUB's position was that approving Question P would save City taxpayers money by eliminating redundant positions, increase the transparency and accountability of Council members, and make it easier for less-established candidates to get elected.

## Opposition to Question P

Council members who opposed Question P attempted to add an alternative measure to the ballot, Question Q, which was worded very similarly and also proposed cutting the number of city council seats from 19 to 14, but the retained larger, multi-member districts. According to Baltimore Sun reporter Laura Vozzella, "Critics accused [council members] of trying to sabotage the coalition plan and save their $48,000-a-year part-time jobs, since the two measures [...] likely would have canceled each other out if both passed."

## Outcome

In late September 2002, a Court of Appeals judge ruled in favor of CLUB's lawsuit and removed Question Q from the ballot because Shiela Dixon had violated the City's Open Meetings Act (Maryland Rule 15-505) by holding a closed-door committee meeting in August 2002 without giving public notice as required by law. At the private meeting, Council decided to put Question Q on the ballot, which led to Question .
Despite the disapproval of City Council President Sheila Dixon and Mayor Martin O'Malley, Question P passed with more than two thirds (67%) of the vote.