ANNAPOLIS
Maryland's Supreme Court ruled Thursday evening to place a Democrat-led redistricting referendum on the state's November ballot, overturning a lower court's earlier attempt to block the measure.
If approved by voters, the proposed state constitutional amendment would empower the Maryland General Assembly to grant the state's highest court original jurisdiction over congressional redistricting plans. The amendment clarifies that strict redistricting parameters, established by a 2022 court decision, apply solely to state Assembly districts and not to congressional maps. This legal distinction would allow Democrats to draw more favorable congressional boundaries without the constraints previously applied statewide.
The move is a clear victory for Maryland Democrats, who control the General Assembly and have aggressively pushed the measure. The amendment aims to help the party win all eight of Maryland's congressional House seats.
Not all members of the court supported the majority's decision. Maryland Supreme Court Justice Steven Gould issued a dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Glenn Harrell, arguing the question should have been kept off the November ballot entirely. Gould contended that the majority's proposed rewrite remains misleading for voters, warning that Maryland voters reading the revised question would not understand that criteria being removed included guarantees of the Declaration of Rights, which he described as "the collection of sacred rights that protect Marylanders against government overreach." He expressed concern that voters could approve constitutional changes without fully grasping their implications.
The November vote could significantly reshape Maryland's congressional delegation and influence the broader national battle for control of the House of Representatives.
