What does a YES vote on Prince George's Question E mean?

Unionized Prince George's County employees could take disputed labor issues to an additional independent arbitration service.

What does a NO vote on Prince George's Question E mean?

Unionized county employees would keep their current options for resolving labor disputes.

Does this apply to all county unions?

The ballot summary refers to unionized county employees, but the charter text being changed is the mandatory binding-arbitration clause for Protective Service Employees (sworn police officers, uniformed firefighters, correctional officers and deputy sheriffs).

Would arbitration decisions still be binding?

Yes. The amended section still says the decision of the mandatory arbitration is binding on the County and the Protective Service Employees.

What does a vote for or against mean?

The ballot says a vote for allows unionized county employees to use an additional independent arbitration service; a vote against keeps the current labor dispute options.

How many votes does Prince George's Question E need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Prince George's Question E?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Prince George's Question E — Charter Amendment: County Union Independent Arbitration Service

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:07 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026

What it does: This policy will allow unionized County employees to submit disputed labor issues to an independent arbitration service for arbitration. A vote for this measure will allow unionized County employees to use an additional independent arbitration service to resolve disputed labor issues. A vote against this measure will maintain current labor dispute options for unionized County employees to resolve disputed labor issues.
A YES vote means: Unionized Prince George's County employees could take disputed labor issues to an additional independent arbitration service.
A NO vote means: Unionized county employees would keep their current options for resolving labor disputes.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

Section 908 of the Prince George's County Charter gives county employees the right to organize and bargain collectively.
If a contract with police officers, uniformed firefighters, correctional officers or deputy sheriffs ('Protective Service Employees') is not settled by March 1 of the year the existing contract expires, the County Executive must send the disputed issues to binding arbitration.
Those disputes must go to the American Arbitration Association and be arbitrated under that association's rules; the hearing and decision must be finished within 90 days unless the arbitrator orders otherwise.

If it passes

Disputed issues could be submitted either to the American Arbitration Association or to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Arbitration would follow the county's labor code instead of the American Arbitration Association's rules.
Binding arbitration, the 90-day deadline and the ban on strikes by public-safety employees would stay the same.

Who would notice

County police officers, firefighters, correctional officers and deputy sheriffs and their unions, and the County Executive, when contract talks reach an impasse. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

The Prince George's County Council proposed the amendment as resolution CR-055-2026, which was on the Council's May 26, 2026 agenda. Charter amendments must be approved by county voters.

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

The Prince George's County Council proposed this charter amendment by resolution CR-055-2026, according to the proposed charter amendment text posted by the Maryland State Board of Elections.

Charter Section 908 now requires the County Executive to submit unresolved contract disputes with representatives of protective service employees (sworn police officers, uniformed firefighters, correctional officers and deputy sheriffs) to binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association.

The amendment would add the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service as an alternative arbitration service and refer to arbitration under the County's labor code instead of the American Arbitration Association's rules; the 90-day deadline for an arbitration decision and the bar on strikes affecting public safety would remain.

Put on the ballot by Prince George's County Council, 2026 (CR-055-2026; adoption date and vote not shown in the posted text).

From official source.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Prince George's Question E mean?: Unionized Prince George's County employees could take disputed labor issues to an additional independent arbitration service.
What does a NO vote on Prince George's Question E mean?: Unionized county employees would keep their current options for resolving labor disputes.
Does this apply to all county unions?: The ballot summary refers to unionized county employees, but the charter text being changed is the mandatory binding-arbitration clause for Protective Service Employees (sworn police officers, uniformed firefighters, correctional officers and deputy sheriffs).
Would arbitration decisions still be binding?: Yes. The amended section still says the decision of the mandatory arbitration is binding on the County and the Protective Service Employees.
What does a vote for or against mean?: The ballot says a vote for allows unionized county employees to use an additional independent arbitration service; a vote against keeps the current labor dispute options.
How many votes does Prince George's Question E need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Prince George's Question E?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Prince George's County ballot.

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