Baltimore voters on Tuesday rejected a measure 62-38% that would have reduced the size of the City Council from its current 14 member size down to 8 members.

With all but nine precincts reporting, the vote is historic too: since 1999, city residents have weighed in on dozens of charter amendments and rejected only one.

At the Peabody Heights Brewery, dozens of volunteers grabbed beers and pizza after many had spent the entire day at the polls convincing residents to vote against Question H. They belong mostly to a coalition of labor unions, social justice groups, and elected city officials, including councilmembers.

“I'm feeling confident that we are going to defeat question eight, and I'm really excited by what it means and can demonstrate for our future ability to counter ballot questions writ large,” said District 3 Councilmember Ryan Dorsey.

Question H is an amendment put forward by People for Elected Accountability and Civic Engagement, or PEACE. It’s the same group responsible for a successful amendment in 2022 that set term limits for Baltimore City’s councilmembers and top elected officials.

It’s been one of the most controversial measures on the ballot, mostly due to its funder: David Smith, co-owner of The Baltimore Sun and chairman of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the parent company of Fox 45. Smith is known for his conservative views and does not live in Baltimore City, two things that opponents to Question H pointed out repeatedly. Smith has donated $415,000 to PEACE as the group worked to make Question H become law.

The measure’s defeat is likely due to a strong and organized coalition of labor groups and city leaders. As of the most recent campaign finance reports, The Stop Sinclair Committee, a group with close ties to Mayor Brandon Scott, had raised $155,000 that went into texting and advertising on local television and radio stations. That money came from large donations from labor groups as well as city councilmembers themselves including Zeke Cohen, Danielle McCray, Ryan Dorsey, Sharon Green-Middleton, Phylicia Porter, and Odette Ramos.

Question H supporters argued that it would make the council smaller and therefore more efficient, both monetarily and procedurally. Otterbein resident Mateo Pacheco didn’t buy that argument as he waited in line for the polls on Tuesday morning.

“It just takes representation away from Baltimore City residents… So I think that's the most important part,” said Pacheco.

But on the streets of Baltimore, there were plenty convinced that shrinking the council could be a good idea.

“I voted for that. I feel like you don't need so many hands in it. It makes it more complicated to get things done. So yes, I voted for him to be able to shrink it,” said Shayla Ellington, a Federal Hill resident, as she left her polling place at the Christ Church Harbor Apartments on Election Day morning.

“Baltimore is decreasing, they don’t need all those people,” said Paul Walton of Baltimore’s council size when he went to vote at Lakeland Elementary School.

WYPR has reached out to PEACE for comment. 

This story may be updated.