Democrat-backed house redistricting measure can be on November ballot, states top court rules

Maryland voters will get to decide in November on a congressional redistricting amendment being pushed by Democrats as part of a nationwide battle for control of the U.S.House in future elections.The Maryland Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the proposed constitutional amendment must be placed on the November ballot, reversing two lower court rulings that had blocked it from going to voters.

But the court directed the ballot summary to be rewritten.The decision marks a notable victory for Democrats, who are trying to counter a Republican redistricting movement advanced by President Donald Trump.“Winning in court was only the first step,” said Ned Miller, chief strategist for Fight Back MD, which supports the ballot measure.“We are building the statewide campaign to educate voters, organize supporters and build the coalition necessary to stand up to Donald Trump and pass Question 3 in November.”Democrats already hold seven of Maryland’s eight U.S.

House seats.The proposed amendment would not change voting districts for this year’s midterm elections.

But if approved by voters, it could free Democratic lawmakers to draw new congressional districts that give the party a shot at a clean sweep in the 2028 elections.State Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, one of several Republican lawmakers who sued, said he appreciated that the court found the ballot wording to be unfair.But he said it wasn’t the role of the judiciary to rewrite what lawmakers had done.“The Court ultimately provided political cover for the General Assembly by allowing this misleading constitutional amendment to remain on the ballot,” Hershey said in a statement.Democratic Gov.

Wes Moore called lawmakers into a special session in August to refer the amendment to the November ballot.The amendment would undo the foundation of a 2022 court ruling that struck down a previous Democratic redistricting plan as a “product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” That judge said a constit...