The sudden appearance of three referenda in Maryland’s last election made some in Annapolis predict that they would be a regular feature in future elections, used as a tool by Maryland’s GOP to contest policy passed by the Democratic majority in the Maryland General Assembly. However, political scientists now suggest that the number of signatures required to get a referendum on the ballot is still a high threshold to meet, even with the help of the Internet in gathering signatures.

Donald F. Norris, professor and chair of public policy at UMBC, told AP that this year’s failed efforts to contest Maryland’s gun-control bill and a measure repealing capital punishment reinforce the sense that Maryland is a deeply Democratic state, where it is difficult for conservatives to overturn legislation. Norris argued, “It also says the Republican Party is even more marginalized in Maryland than it has been historically, and it’s been pretty marginalized historically.”