Marylanders say they are paying attention to state politics, but the new UMBC Poll released Thursday revealed that many still struggle with basic facts about how state government works.

The poll found 64% of Marylanders say they pay “a great deal” or “some” attention to news about Maryland state politics and government during a typical week. Another 35% said they pay “a little” or “no attention at all.”

Among those who pay at least “a little” attention, local television news was the most commonly cited source for news about Maryland state and local government, at 67%. Other sources included social media (56%), friends, family, or neighbors (48%), newspapers in print or online (47%), local radio (41%), elected officials or government websites (25%) and podcasts (19%). Respondents could select more than one source.

The UMBC Poll also tested Marylanders with five multiple-choice factual questions about Maryland state government. The average respondent answered two out of five correctly.

Overall, 40% got zero to one correct, 42% got two to three correct, and 19% got four to five correct.

Some questions proved easier than others. The share answering each item correctly was:

– The length of a Maryland governor’s term (4 years): 62%

– Whether the Maryland state government currently has a budget deficit or surplus (deficit): 61%

– The number of Republican seats in Maryland’s U.S. House delegation (1): 30%

– The length of the Maryland General Assembly’s legislative session (90 days): 29%

– The approximate share of seats held by Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly (71 to 80 percent): 21%

“There are clear benefits to a politically informed citizenry: higher participation rates, greater accountability, and more responsive government,” said Mileah Kromer, director of the UMBC Institute of Politics. “But political knowledge is uneven across topics and levels of government, and research suggests that people can make reasonable political judgments without deep factual knowledge. Cues from daily life and personal experience help residents assess how their government is performing and how policies affect their lives.”

Orioles lead MLB fandom in Maryland

The poll also asked Marylanders about Major League Baseball fandom, finding the Baltimore Orioles with a sizable advantage over the Washington Nationals.

According to the survey, 40% said they consider themselves more of an Orioles fan, 16% said they are more of a Nationals fan, 9% said they are a fan of some other team, and 33% said they are not really a baseball fan.

“It was a no-doubter that the Baltimore Orioles would have a considerable Maryland fandom advantage over the Washington Nationals, their Battle of the Beltways rival,” Kromer said. “Fandom can mean anything from a casual affinity to an obsessed diehard, and every new season presents the opportunity to turn some of the former into the latter. I wish the Nats and all other MLB teams an adequate season and hope their fans have a moderate amount of fun. Let’s go O’s.”

The UMBC Poll, released Thursday, surveyed 804 Maryland adults from Tuesday, March 17, to Sunday, March 22, 2026. Of those surveyed, 731 said they were registered voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all adults and plus or minus 3.6 points for registered voters.