Maryland Lawmakers Weigh Mid-Decade Redistricting After Voter Approval

Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that removes legal restrictions on how congressional districts are drawn. The measure, known as Ballot Question 3, passed with support from 60% of the electorate. The change eliminates requirements that districts maintain adjoining territory, respect natural boundaries, or honor existing political subdivisions.

The removal of these rules clears the path for a district map that was previously blocked in the state Senate. In January, the House of Delegates passed a plan to redraw Maryland's districts. The proposal would have reconfigured the state's only Republican-held congressional district to include more Democratic voters. Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat from Baltimore City, opposed bringing the measure to a Senate vote at the time.

House Majority Leader David Moon said the legislature will now monitor redistricting efforts in other states before making a final decision. He noted that national Democrats have long sought legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting and require independent map-drawing commissions in all states. Such a bill passed the House in 2021 on a near-party-line vote but was blocked by a Republican filibuster in the Senate.

Democrats will hold majorities in both chambers of Congress following the recent elections. However, they will not reach the 60-vote threshold needed to override a Senate filibuster. Moon stated that passing a national ban on partisan gerrymandering within the next two years would likely require bipartisan support and a signature from President Donald Trump.

"I do believe, one way or another, Congress is going to have to ban, nationally, all mid-decade redistricting for all 50 states at one time," Moon said. "And if it means we pass it and Donald Trump doesn't come on board, and we need to wait till he leaves and install a Democratic president, then you know what? If that's the steps that we need to take, that's what we'll do."

State leaders are also watching how southern states respond to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. Earlier this year, the high court ruled 6-3 that Louisiana's 2024 election map created an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling dismantled previous interpretations of the Voting Rights Act that protected the collective voting power of racial minorities. Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Florida have redrawn their maps to favor the Republican Party, though many of those efforts face legal challenges. New maps are also expected from Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

"It wasn't that long ago that you had a number of Republican states that were planning to initiate mid-decade redistrictings after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, some of them beginning in 2027 and 2028," Moon said. "So I think we haven't seen the last of Trump's election rigging shenanigans in red states."

Despite the strategic advantage, Moon said redistricting is not the top priority for the coming legislative session. He emphasized the need to work with federal partners to restore healthcare subsidies and food stamp benefits. Senate President Ferguson shared this view, stating that lowering costs and growing the economy remain the primary goals for the state government.

"I’m pleased that Question 3’s passage gives Maryland clear legal standards for redistricting," Ferguson said in a statement. "I’ll be discussing any next steps with my Senate colleagues and other state leaders. We will certainly take into account the results of how mid-cycle redistricting efforts played out across the country and any further actions other states may pursue. Regardless, lowering costs, growing our economy and protecting programs Marylanders rely on will remain our top priorities."

Governor Wes Moore, who supported the ballot measure, described the tactic as a countermeasure to efforts by wealthy and well-connected groups to rewrite rules for their own benefit. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen agreed that a federal, nonpartisan districting law is needed. He said Maryland has the opportunity to step up and counter what he described as an effort to maintain a rubber stamp Congress. Van Hollen did not specify whether he supports an all-blue congressional map, noting that the decision belongs to the General Assembly.

Support for Ballot Question 3 was not uniform across the state. Every county within District 1, which is represented by Republican Congressman Andy Harris, voted against the measure. The only exception was Baltimore County, which forms a small part of the district and voted in favor. The General Assembly will reconvene for its annual 90-day session in January.