Since the creation of the U.S. constitution in the late 1780s, voting has been America’s most fundamental way of promoting its core principle of popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty is the idea that the government is created by and for the people; The people (citizens or constituents) give the government its power and that power is only legitimate with the consent of the people. Nowadays, voting is a basic part of American life. Many people may even abstain from voting, purely as a form of political expression.

Although voting is a major part of the average American’s relationship with their government, many only consider the federal government like the president and vice president when they think of voting. While the federal government does play a large role in how American society functions and how we interact with other countries on an international stage, local and state government is arguably more important in shaping the everyday life of a voter in many ways. With midterms coming up in Maryland, here is a comprehensive but brief guide on the state’s local and state offices, and positions you might see on your ballot this June.

State Government

The state government is responsible for governing its respective state and enacting any power not granted to the federal government. It shapes services and goods like public education, emergency services, and libraries. The structure of state government is modeled after the federal government in that it has three branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. The Executive Branch of Maryland Government consists of Maryland’s executive agencies and Constitutional Officers like the governor, Wes Moore, who’s responsible for overseeing the executive branch. The governor, elected by state voters for a 4-year term, leads the Governor’s Executive Council, also known as the cabinet. In the cabinet are the heads of all 23 departments within the executive branch. The governor can also direct independent agencies and authorize task forces and executive commissions to research and suggest solutions to state issues.

The legislative branch, Maryland’s General Assembly, is responsible for drafting and approving legislation. This can include laws, state spending, or supervision of the executive branch through checks and balances. Maryland’s general assembly is a bicameral legislature, meaning it is made up of the Senate, led by the Senate President (Bill Ferguson) and the House of Delegates, led by House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones. The House of Delegates is the lower house in the Maryland General Assembly. If a bill is passed through the house of delegates in a majority vote it will go to the State Senate to be approved for it to be signed into law. Members of the House of Delegates are designated to a caucus that debates and approves or denies bills for specific issues in the state of Maryland (i.e finance, business, agriculture, etc.).

As for Maryland’s Judicial Branch, it is split into four court divisions: the Supreme Court of Maryland, the Appellate Court of Maryland, the Circuit Courts, and the District Court of Maryland. There is also the Maryland Tax Court that is considered part of the executive branch.

Maryland also has state representatives who represent state constituents on the federal level in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. These officials represent Maryland residents’ on the federal level and are elected to propose and approve bills in the interest of Marylanders.

Local Government

In Maryland, each county and municipality (towns and cities like Baltimore) have a local government. Districts can also function similarly to local government (i.e school districts). Local government is responsible for community safety, sanitation, water quality, and many other services someone would interact with in their daily life. Howard Community college resides within the governance of the Howard County Government.

Howard County Government, like many county governments, does not have its own judicial branch but rather it is operated by the Judicial branch of the State of Maryland. Howard County’s Executive and Legislative branch is a model similar to state government’s. The Executive branch is headed by County Executive Calvin Ball who oversees all departments, boards, and commissions within the County Council’s executive branch. County Executive Ball is also responsible for addressing resident concerns as well as proposing and administering local budgets.

Howard County’s Legislative branch, County Council, who enact laws, authorize budgets, and propose local policy. The County Council works with the Zoning board and Board of License Commissioners to regulate the development and distribution of property and alcoholic beverages respectively.

2026 Midterm Election

The “midterms” or the gubernatorial election is held halfway (2 years) through a president’s 4 year term. In a midterm election, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and ⅓ of the seats in the Senate are up for grabs. A constituent could vote to reelect the incumbent (the politician currently holding the seat) or vote for someone new. A constituent needs to be within a state or district to vote for a specific seat. For instance, Maryland constituents vote for the U.S. Senate and since the House of Representatives representatives represent congressional districts, Marylanders in those districts can vote to elect a candidate running for that seat. The composition of Congress can change what the President is able to do in their term because of party politics; This motivates some voters to vote based on party to indirectly affect politics on the presidential level.

Depending on the state, state and local offices may be on the ballot. In Maryland both state and local office elections are taking place this year. U.S. Senate elections aren’t happening for Maryland but many positions in the Maryland Senate are being campaigned for. The Maryland Senate is split into districts so residents would vote in their specific district. This is also true for the Maryland House of Delegates. Offices like governor, comptroller, and attorney general can be voted by any resident of the state.

Local offices are also on the ballot, with County Executive, seats in County Council, board chairs, and more being up for reelection in Howard County alone.

How to find your official

There are many resources free and accessible for anyone interested in learning more about their officials and representatives. The U.S. House of Representatives has a tool that finds your representative by typing in your zip code. You can also go here to find your district.

To find out if you are registered to vote you can go to vote.org or Maryland’s voter search website to learn more.