Inside MSEA with Sean Johnson
Do your research all the way down-ballot
IT’S TIME TO VOTE!
Do your research all the way down-ballot.
November 5 is not far away, and Marylanders will be voting by mail, voting early, and voting on Election Day all the way until polls close at 8:00 p.m. There’s a lot of attention on the race for the White House and Maryland’s critical race to select who will likely be a tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate. Educators have endorsed Kamala Harris for president and one of our very own educator colleagues in Tim Walz for vice president. Here in Maryland, educators are backing Angela Alsobrooks for U.S. Senate.
But there is so much more on your ballot! There are elections for competitive Congressional seats, judgeships, and in a few counties, spots to fill seats in county government. Down-ballot are some of the most important, yet lowest profile, issues this election: the statewide ballot measure to protect reproductive rights and dozens of seats across the state for local boards of education.
Question 1 enshrines the right to reproductive freedom in Maryland’s constitution. It is the most significant action a state can take to confirm the right to reproductive freedom. MSEA delegates to our Spring 2024 representative assembly voted overwhelmingly to recommend support for Question 1. Vote FOR the constitutional amendment when you reach that final page of your ballot.
If you’re voting for board of education seats, these will appear on your ballot just before Question 1. You know what’s at stake with these elections. These will be who we negotiate with for new rights, fair contracts, and resources that improve the profession. It’s vital that you not only do your research but be the voice of public education in your school and community about educator-recommended candidates. The best tool to share educator-recommended candidates is MDAppleBallot.com—a one-stop website that provides information on educator-backed candidates in every county in the state. Please use and share that website and help us spread the word!
MDAppleBallot.com reflects the work of educators who have done their research, but ultimately the choice is yours. Support yourself, your colleagues, and your profession by backing educator-recommended candidates and issues this year.
This article is intended for MSEA members.
