Maryland judge blocks Democratic redistricting amendment from November ballot

In a decision that halts a Democratic effort to reshape Maryland’s congressional map, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment cannot be placed on the November ballot. The amendment sought to restrict compactness and natural-boundary requirements to state legislative districts only, opening the door for congressional districts that cross the Chesapeake Bay and could affect the seat held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris.

Governor Wes Moore called a special legislative session in August to push the amendment forward, but the judge found that lawmakers failed to meet a July 1 deadline set by a law signed by Moore. The state attorney general’s office contended the deadline did not bind the amendment because lawmakers drafted their own ballot summary, a claim the judge rejected. He granted a temporary stay to allow an appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court. The case mirrors a recent Virginia Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar mid-decade redistricting measure on procedural grounds, highlighting a broader national contest over redistricting reforms championed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans following President Donald Trump’s push for GOP-led map changes.