Maryland judge blocks proposed redistricting amendment from November ballot

A Maryland circuit court judge ruled Wednesday that a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at changing the rules for congressional redistricting will not be placed on the November 2026 ballot. The decision, which is stayed to allow an appeal to the state Supreme Court, stems from the judge’s finding that lawmakers missed the July 1 deadline for submitting ballot summaries and that the amendment’s wording was misleading.

The amendment, approved by Democratic state legislators earlier this month, sought to limit the constitutional requirement for compact districts and natural boundaries to state legislative districts only, thereby permitting congressional maps that cross the Chesapeake Bay. Supporters argued it would enable the drawing of new congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections, potentially affecting the seat held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris.

Judge Robert Thompson said the legislature violated its own procedural rules and that the measure also conflicted with a single-issue limitation in the state constitution by adding a provision granting the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over congressional 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 have been watching California’s recent voter-approved amendment that allows mid-decade redistricting, a model Democrats hope to replicate.