Maryland Judge Upholds Rule of Law, Blocks Partisan Redistricting Amendment from Ballot
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A Maryland circuit court judge has blocked a controversial constitutional amendment that would have enabled Democrats to manipulate congressional districts, citing missed deadlines and misleading language. The decision is paused pending appeal.
A Maryland circuit court judge took a stand for legal integrity on Wednesday by ruling that a proposed constitutional amendment—pushed through by Democratic lawmakers to change congressional redistricting rules—will not be placed on the November 2026 ballot. The decision, which is stayed pending appeal to the state Supreme Court, comes after the judge found that legislators failed to meet the July 1 deadline for submitting ballot summaries and that the amendment’s language was deceptive.
The amendment, rammed through by Democrats earlier this month, sought to weaken the constitutional requirements for compact districts and natural boundaries, applying them only to state legislative districts. This would have opened the door for Democrats to gerrymander congressional maps, even allowing districts to cross the Chesapeake Bay, and directly threatened the seat of Republican Rep. Andy Harris.
Judge Robert Thompson ruled that the legislature violated its own procedural rules and that the measure violated the state constitution’s single-issue limitation by adding a provision granting the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over redistricting lawsuits. He wrote, "> The court has no choice but to enjoin the board of elections from including ballot Question 3 on the general election ballot for November 3, 2026."
The ruling follows a similar decision by the Virginia Supreme Court, which struck down a redistricting ballot measure on procedural grounds. Both states are monitoring California, where Democrats recently pushed through a mid-decade redistricting amendment—a move critics say is designed to cement one-party control.