Maryland Court Blocks Congressional Redistricting Ballot Amendment Before 2026 Vote

Maryland Court Blocks Redistricting Ballot Amendment Ahead of 2026 Election

A Maryland court has blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that could have paved the way for Democrats to redraw the state's congressional map before the upcoming election cycle.

The ruling prevents the proposed amendment from appearing on the November 3, 2026 ballot, although the decision has been temporarily put on hold to allow the state to appeal before the Maryland Supreme Court.

The proposed measure was part of a wider Democratic effort to enable mid-decade congressional redistricting. Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland's eight seats in the US House of Representatives and had hoped to reshape the remaining Republican-held district.

Democratic Governor Wes Moore had called a special legislative session earlier this month as part of efforts to advance changes to the state's redistricting framework.

The proposed constitutional amendment sought to change how Maryland's requirements for compact districts and consideration of natural boundaries would apply. Under the proposal, those requirements would have applied only to state legislative districts and not congressional districts.

Such a change could have allowed lawmakers to redraw congressional boundaries across the Chesapeake Bay and potentially reshape the district represented by Republican Congressman Andy Harris.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that lawmakers failed to comply with deadlines established under a state law governing ballot measures. The law required statewide ballot question summaries to be certified by July 1.

State officials argued that the deadline did not apply because lawmakers had prepared their own ballot summary. However, the court rejected that argument.

The judge also found that the wording of the ballot question was misleading because it described the proposed amendment as merely clarifying Maryland's constitutional redistricting standards.

The ruling further stated that the measure violated the state's constitutional single-issue requirement because it also included provisions related to the Maryland Supreme Court's jurisdiction over congressional redistricting disputes.

Following the decision, Maryland filed an appeal with the state's highest court.

The case comes amid a wider political battle across the United States over congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. While redistricting traditionally follows the release of census data at the beginning of each decade, several states are now considering or challenging mid-decade changes to congressional boundaries.

Democrats and Republicans are both pursuing strategies that could potentially reshape the balance of power in the US House of Representatives, making court battles over congressional maps increasingly significant ahead of the next election cycle.