# Howard County Ballot Questions 2026

> Howard County voters decide gender-neutral charter language and affordable housing funding options in 2026 ballot.
- Title: Howard County Ballot Questions 2026 · The Banner | Shortify
- Summary: Howard County voters decide gender-neutral charter language and affordable housing funding options in 2026 ballot. Howard County voters will approve or…
- Keywords: howard county, charter amendment, gender neutrality, affordable housing, ballot questions, 2026 maryland voter guide, news, local, Howard, County, Ballot, Questions
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/voter-guide/2026/howard-county/howard-county-ballot-questions-4ULU5FCEZBAC7JH7NH3GTTPXXM
- Published: 2026-10-07T18:00:45.408+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: howard county, charter amendment, gender neutrality, affordable housing, ballot questions, 2026 maryland voter guide, news, local
## Question A: Gender Neutrality
Howard County voters decide whether to replace gender-specific words in the county charter with gender-neutral terms like 'they' and 'them'.

> The County Charter uses gender-specific words like "he" and "she". The Charter Amendment would replace these types of words with gender-neutral words like "they" and "them".
## Question B: Affordable Housing
Howard County voters decide if the county can use capital budget bonds for affordable for-sale housing projects without owning the projects.

> The County Charter only allows the County to use its capital budget to finance an affordable housing project in its Housing Opportunities Trust Fund if the County owns the project.
## Charter Amendment Details
A vote for the gender-neutral amendment changes the charter to use gender-neutral language, while a vote against keeps gender-specific terms.

> A vote FOR the Amendment would make gender-neutral changes to the Charter. A vote AGAINST the Amendment would leave gender-specific words unchanged in the Charter.
## Affordable Housing Funding
The amendment allows the county to finance affordable housing projects through bonds without requiring ownership of the projects.

> The County would repay the bonds for the project over a defined time period, typically 20-30 years, and the affordable for-sale housing units must remain affordable for that period.
## Voter Impact
Howard County voters will determine if the county can fund affordable housing projects using capital budget bonds without owning the projects.

> This proposed charter amendment asks voters whether the county should be allowed to finance affordable housing by taking on debt in the form of bonds.
## Key takeaway

Howard County voters will approve or reject a charter amendment for gender-neutral language and affordable housing funding in 2026.