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Maryland judge blocks Democratic-backed redistricting amendment from November ballot

A state circuit judge cited deadline violations, misleading phrasing, and single-issue rules, but stayed the order pending an appeal.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 18:22 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment altering congressional redistricting standards cannot appear on Maryland's November 3, 2026 ballot.
  • The ruling halts a legislative effort pushed by Democratic Governor Wes Moore to alter rules around district compactness, which would have allowed state lawmakers to redraw the district held by Republican Representative Andy Harris.
  • The court stayed the enforcement of the injunction to allow the state to appeal the decision to the Maryland Supreme Court.

Key facts

  • Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that Maryland state lawmakers violated statutory deadlines, used intentionally misleading wording, and breached the state constitution's single-issue rule in placing Question 3 on the ballot.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The proposed constitutional amendment sought to clarify that state constitutional requirements for compact districts and natural boundaries apply only to state legislative districts, rather than congressional ones.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The legal challenge against the ballot measure was filed by Republican state legislators and the conservative group Oversight Project.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • The Maryland attorney general's office contended that the July 1 statutory certification deadline did not apply because lawmakers drafted the ballot summary themselves under constitutional authority.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]
  • Democrats currently hold seven of Maryland's eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]
  • Judge Thompson paused the effect of his ruling to allow the state to file an appeal with the Maryland Supreme Court.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains uncertain whether the Maryland Supreme Court will uphold or overturn Judge Thompson's injunction prior to the November 2026 general election.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News · Associated Press]

Sources