Maryland Court Stops Proposed Redistricting Amendment on Ballot
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Democratic-backed Maryland redistricting amendment can't go on November ballot, court rules A Maryland court has ruled against a proposed constitutional amendment that could have paved the way for Democrats to redraw the state's congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections.
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Washington ExaminerA Maryland judge on Wednesday struck down a November ballot question for a state constitutional redistricting amendment that would pave the way for Democrats to net one seat in 2028, delivering a major blow to Gov. Wes Moore‘s (D-MD) agenda.
The HillJudge blocks Democrats redistricting push in Maryland A Maryland judge Wednesday blocked an effort that would have proposed a constitutional amendment to redraw the state’s congressional districts to residents, marking another setback for Democratic redistricting efforts. Judge Robert Thompson ruled against House Bill 2100 — signed into law by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Aug. 5 — calling the wording in…
New York TimesMaryland Judge Blocks Democratic Redistricting Measure A judge found that Democratic lawmakers had not followed proper procedures in passing a redistricting amendment, but the state Supreme Court will have the final say.
Fox NewsA Maryland court blocked Democrats from adding a congressional redistricting initiative to the November ballot on Wednesday.
The FederalistA Maryland judge this week saw through the legally tortured redistricting scheme and put the kibosh on the hastily made ballot question.
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County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson ruled that Democrats had violated state deadlines for adding ballot measures. Earlier this year, Maryland Democrats passed a law requiring the Maryland secretary of state to certify ballot summaries by July 1, but the amendment was submitted after that date.
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The FederalistAnne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Thompson on Wednesday enjoined the Maryland State Board of Elections from putting an amendment question on the Nov. 3 ballot that the legislature unlawfully conceived.
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However, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson, appointed by Moore’s predecessor, Republican Larry Hogan, determined the question to be “legally deficient.” The General Assembly “did not follow the very laws it enacted” by missing its own July 1 deadline for ballot questions, according to Thompson. The judge also accused lawmakers of being “intentionally misleading” with the language by saying it “clarifies” the constitution’s redistricting rules and criticized them for using a “hastily called special session.”
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The FederalistThe circuit court just said no. “The court finds that the process used by the General Assembly to propose ballot Question 3 was deficient,” Thompson wrote. “Further, in the General Assembly rush to pass the measure in a hastily called special session, the presumptions and thus the wording of the question are deficient.”
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“At a moment when states across the country are manipulating congressional maps to silence voters and undermine fair representation, Maryland cannot afford to sit on our hands,” the statement said.
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Washington Examiner“At a moment when states across the country are manipulating congressional maps to silence voters and undermine fair representation, Maryland cannot afford to sit on our hands,” Moore’s office said. “We believe Maryland voters deserve the opportunity to make their voices heard, and we will continue fighting to ensure they can.”
3 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Fox News The amendment would have removed the requirement that congressional districts be compact and follow "natural boundaries." Democrats already control seven of Maryland's eight congressional districts.
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02 The Federalist Democrats have done a lot of weaselly things in the pursuit of power, but their ploy to grab a congressional seat by a quick and crooked change to Maryland’s constitution is a real doozy.
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03 Washington Examiner The push has been a key part of Moore’s platform to counter President Donald Trump’s redistricting efforts in GOP-led states across the country. The first-term governor faces a safe reelection this fall but is a potential 2028 presidential contender. Other potential Democratic presidential contenders, such as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), were successful in their counter-redistricting pursuits.
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