Maryland Court: "Redistricting Constitutional Amendment Ineligible for November Ballot"

Democratic-Backed Amendment Halted... Court Sides with Conservatives Judge Cites "Violation of Legislative Deadline and Misleading Phrasing"

A Maryland state court has ruled to block a Democratic-backed state constitutional amendment regarding congressional redistricting from appearing on the November ballot ahead of the 2028 general elections. This brings another setback to the Democrats' nationwide efforts to counter redistricting moves by former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

On the 26th, Judge Robert Thompson of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, ordered the State Board of Elections to remove the Democratic-sponsored ballot measure (Question 3) from the upcoming November early voting and general election ballots. However, the court temporarily stayed the ruling to allow for an appeal to the State Supreme Court.

The Democratic Party, which currently holds seven of Maryland's eight U.S. House seats, convened a special session in August led by Maryland Governor Wes Moore to push forward legislation aimed at capturing the state's sole remaining Republican-held seat (represented by Rep. Andy Harris).

The core of the amendment was to explicitly state that constitutional requirements—mandating that districts be compact and respect "natural boundaries"—apply only to state legislative districts and not to federal congressional districts. The intention was to redraw a district spanning across the Chesapeake Bay to neutralize a Republican stronghold.

However, Judge Thompson ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the conservative group "Oversight Project" and Republican state lawmakers. Judge Thompson pointed out that the legislature violated its own self-imposed July 1 deadline for submitting the ballot summary and misled voters by using the term "clarifies" in the ballot language. Furthermore, he determined that the measure violated the "single-subject rule" by including a separate provision granting the State Supreme Court jurisdiction over congressional redistricting lawsuits.

Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans have been engaged in fierce battles this year over "mid-decade redistricting"—redrawing district lines ahead of the regular 2030 redistricting cycle. A Democratic-led amendment in Virginia was also recently invalidated due to procedural defects, and battles over redistricting dominance between the two parties are intensifying across the nation in states such as California, Utah, Texas, and Florida.