Maryland PIRG: State Should Hold Special Elections to Fill Vacancies in the Legislature

Our democracy works best when everyone has a voice and everyone is represented. Voting for our local, state and federal representatives is fundamental to this vision, and is step one in a civically-engaged electorate and responsive government. But today, Maryland’s system for filling empty legislative seats is simply un-democratic. Currently, approximately one in five Maryland state legislators were initially appointed rather than elected by the voters — appointed by a small group of political insiders to fill seats left empty by retirements, deaths or other reasons.