Story perspectives

Maryland Supreme Court Lets Redistricting Amendment Hit November Ballot

9/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Maryland Supreme Court allowed a Democratic redistricting amendment to appear on the November ballot.
The amendment would let the General Assembly draw congressional districts without compactness rules.
It limits constitutional district standards to state legislative maps, excluding congressional ones.
Republicans said the measure missed the July 1 certification deadline and misled voters.
Governor Wes Moore called the decision a massive victory, urging a YES vote.

History

Historical Context

1962’s Baker v. Carr decision declared redistricting justiciable under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, launching “one-person-one-vote” cases like Wesberry v. Sanders and Reynolds v. Sims that required population-equal districts. Relying on that precedent, Maryland’s Supreme Court now backs a partisan amendment allowing Governor Wes Moore and Democrats to ignore compactness rules, impacting about 6 million voters.

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Story summary

Maryland Supreme Court allowed a Democratic redistricting amendment to appear on the November ballot.
The amendment would let the General Assembly draw congressional districts without compactness rules.
It limits constitutional district standards to state legislative maps, excluding congressional ones.
Republicans said the measure missed the July 1 certification deadline and misled voters.
Governor Wes Moore called the decision a massive victory, urging a YES vote.

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