Local elections have far-reaching consequences. The ballot measures that we vote on and the leaders we elect can decide how we spend our money, how we protect our community’s most vulnerable members, and whether our region’s actions will dismantle systemic oppression or reinforce the status quo. Every vote matters — and we’re here to help you sort through it all.
Read below about the ballot measures we supported in the 2022 DC and Maryland General Elections and how you can help!
Local Ballot Measures
For Question H in Baltimore City
The concept of tzelem elohim — the idea that all people are created in the Divine image and therefore are equally precious and worthy — is central to Judaism. It is so central that our sacred texts declare that destroying even one life is akin to destroying a whole world. Unfortunately, we know that in Maryland, lives are destroyed every day, especially Black and brown lives, by our system of policing.
Judaism’s ethic of mutual care calls us to hold police accountable to the people, which is why JUFJ and our partners have been calling to restore local control over the police in Baltimore — the only city in Maryland that doesn’t oversee its own police department — since 2018.
Vote for Question “H” on the ballot in November to put the Baltimore Police Department under the city’s control for the first time since the mid-1800s.
Raise awareness about Question H at the polls with JUFJ and our partners at CJSJ, SURJ, and CASA on Election Day (Tuesday, November 8).
Against Question K in Baltimore City
According to Rabbi Yitzchak, whose words are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is consulted” (Berachot 55a). Mandatory term limits remove voters’ ability to select leaders who represent our values.
Democracy is under attack across the country and Question K is a local effort to disenfranchise voters. The ballot measure is funded almost exclusively by David Smith, the chairman of right-wing media conglomerate Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates the local Fox News channel.
Mandatory term limits force skilled, experienced legislators out of office even when voters want to keep them. Baltimore needs political stability, and elected officials with institutional knowledge, but term limits increase the power of unelected, unaccountable staff and lobbyists.
Vote against Question “K” to ensure Baltimore City voters choose our elected officials, and not big money special interests.
Share this video about Question K in our Voter Guide.
Yes on Initiative 82 in DC
Every working person deserves to be treated with respect, whether they work in an office, a restaurant, a construction site, or in a home. Jewish sacred texts tell us that when we are in the employer role, we must give our employees fair and timely compensation and maintain workplaces that offer true dignity and respect.
Initiative 82 is a ballot measure that will raise wages for thousands of low wage workers, including waitresses, nail salon technicians, parking lot attendants, bellhops, and more. If you voted in DC in 2018, you may remember supporting the very similar Initiative 77, which was overturned by Chairman Phil Mendelson and a majority of the DC Council. But this DC Council looks very different from the one that overturned Initiative 77.
The DC Committee to Build a Better Restaurant Industry is running the campaign for Initiative 82. Volunteer with them to win One Fair Wage for all DC workers.
For Question A in Howard County
The insistence that we behave with care, equity, and love toward the stranger appears 36 times in Torah; it is the most-repeated command in the entire Torah. Our sacred texts insist that we turn our own historical experiences of being outsiders in many foreign lands into compassion for those experiencing the same today. As Jews and as human beings, we are obligated to make sure that those of us who were not born in our community are as safe as those of us who were.
But many immigrants in Howard County are not safe, and their protection and privacy are being debated in this upcoming election. JUFJ has been working with our coalition partners to support immigrant justice in Howard County since 2019. The Liberty Act was signed into law in December 2020 to ensure that all residents feel safe accessing vital county services—without their personal information being collected or shared with entities outside of Howard County. Now the Liberty Act is up for referendum as Question “A” on the ballot.
Vote “For the Law” on Question “A” to ensure Howard County remains a safe, welcoming home for immigrants.
Want to volunteer to support Question A? Email Anna Rubin to connect with the campaign.
What’s At Stake in the 2022 Maryland General Election?
Since 2018, JUFJ has run civic education programs on Montgomery County and Maryland elections and what’s at stake when you vote (or don’t vote) in your local primary and general elections. In this 2022 General Election presentation, we discuss key statewide elected offices in Maryland – not just what they are, but also why they matter. Throughout the program, we tell stories about the power elected officials have, using case studies from the issues that JUFJ and our partners work on. We focus on the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, the General Assembly, and ballot questions in the 2022 Maryland General Elections.
Maryland Statewide & County 2022 Election Resources
Maryland:
- Maryland Board of Elections (includes information about your voter registration status and polling place)
- Voter Registration FAQs
- Mail-in Voting FAQs
Baltimore:
Howard County:
Montgomery County:
- (240) 777-VOTE or www.777vote.org
- Early Voting FAQs
Prince George’s County:
2022 General Election
- August 1 – Voter Registration reopens for General Election
- October 18 – Deadline for advance Voter Registration
- October 27 – November 3 – General Early Voting, 7 AM – 8 PM
- You can also register to vote in person during this time
- November 1 – Deadline to request mail-in by mail or fax*
- November 4 – Deadline to download mail-in ballot from the State’s website*
- November 8 – Deadline to request mail-in ballot in person at a local board of elections*
- November 8 – General Election, 7 AM – 8 PM
- On election day you can register to vote at your assigned polling place (bring a document that proves where you live)
*Any registered voter may vote by mail-in ballot. You don’t need a reason to be able to vote by mail-in ballot. It’s a great option if for any reason you can’t or don’t want to go to an early voting site or your polling place. Depending on when you request your mail-in ballot, your ballot may be available as early as 30-45 days before the election.
Your Congressional, State, County, and Board of Education districts are all different. You only vote for the candidates in your specific Congressional, State, and County districts. Everyone in Montgomery County votes in all Board of Education races.
Congressional and State Districts:
- Find your CURRENT Federal and State Districts and representatives
- Find your NEW Congressional District
- Find your proposed NEW State District
County Council Districts:
Baltimore County:
Howard County:
Montgomery County:
Prince George’s County:
For all other Counties, check out Common Cause’s resource on local redistricting in Maryland!
- Maryland News:
- Baltimore City and County:
- Howard County:
- Montgomery County:
- Prince George’s County:
- There are other e-newsletters, blogs, and Twitter feeds if you want more sources of information. Contact Sarah at sarah.hiller@jufj.org for the full list!
DC 2022 Election Resources
2022 General Election
- October 3 – DCBOE begins sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters
- October 14 – Mail Ballot Drop Boxes open
- October 18 – Deadline for receipt of all voter registration applications:
- October 24 – Deadline to request Absentee Ballot*
- November 5 – Deadline for UOCAVA voters to request Absentee Ballot
- October 31-November 6 – Early Voting period
- November 8 – General Election
- November 15 – Deadline for DCBOE to receive voted Absentee Ballots
*Given that DCBOE is mailing all registered DC voters a mail-in ballot, you do NOT need to request an Absentee Ballot unless you will be away from your DC residence during the 2022 General Election.
Ward:
Type any address to find your Ward
ANC:
An ANC is a non-partisan, neighborhood body made up of locally elected representatives called Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners. They are a unique feature of the District’s Home Rule Charter. The Commissioners, who serve two-year terms without pay, are elected at DC Elections in November in even-numbered years (e.g., 2016). The ANCs were established to bring government closer to the people, and to bring the people closer to government. The ANCs’ main job is to be their neighborhood’s official voice in advising the District government (and Federal agencies) on issues that affect their neighborhoods.
