Maryland court rules Democratic-backed redistricting amendment cannot go on November ballot

A Maryland court has denied approval for a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed Democrats to redraw the state's congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections. The ruling was made by a judge in Annapolis, Maryland, and marks a setback in Democrats' efforts to counter the Republican redistricting movement led by former President Donald Trump.

The judge's decision prevents the amendment from appearing on the November ballot, though he has temporarily halted the ruling to allow for an appeal to the state Supreme Court. Democrats currently control seven of Maryland's eight congressional seats, and Governor Wes Moore convened lawmakers in a special session in August to make it easier to claim that final seat.

The amendment, which lawmakers sought to get on the ballot, aimed to bypass a previous court ruling that invalidated a Democratic redistricting plan from 2022. If approved, it would have permitted state lawmakers to draw congressional districts that cross the Chesapeake Bay, potentially reshaping a district held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris, who is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

However, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that lawmakers had missed their deadlines for certifying the ballot measure. The state attorney general's office argued that the deadline did not apply to the redistricting amendment because lawmakers created their own ballot summary, citing their constitutional authority.

Instead, the judge sided with arguments from the conservative Oversight Project and Republican state lawmakers who sued to block the amendment.