Judge Blocks Maryland's New Redistricting Ballot Question

State of MD - A Maryland judge has ordered election officials to keep a controversial ballot question off the November ballot. Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Thompson ruled on August 26, 2026 that the state failed to follow its own rules when it added the measure.

The decision could reshape how Maryland handles congressional redistricting for years to come.

The case centers on Statewide Ballot Question 3, which deals with how congressional district lines are drawn. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 29, a law requiring ballot questions to be written in plain language and to meet strict deadlines before an election. That law took effect June 1, 2026.

Governor Moore later called a special legislative session in July, aiming to pass an amendment clarifying that legislative district rules do not apply to congressional districts. House Bill 2100 was introduced on August 3, 2026 and passed both chambers the very next day. That timeline put lawmakers more than a month past the July 1 deadline they had set for themselves under SB 29.

A group of plaintiffs, led by Michael L. Howell, filed suit on August 6 to stop the question from appearing on the ballot. They argued the state ignored its own timing rules. Judge Thompson agreed, ruling that lawmakers cannot skip the very process they created.

The judge also took issue with the wording of the ballot question itself. It states that the amendment "clarifies" district rules, but Thompson found nothing showing that was ever the common understanding before a related court ruling settled the matter. He wrote that using the word "clarifies" was misleading to voters.

On top of that, the judge found the question tried to cover two separate issues at once. Maryland law requires each ballot question to stick to a single topic. Combining new court jurisdiction rules with the district boundary changes crossed that line, according to the ruling.

Because of these problems, Thompson granted summary judgment for the plaintiffs and denied it for the state. He ordered the State Board of Elections to leave Question 3 off the November 3, 2026 ballot.

However, that injunction is on hold for now.

Thompson stayed his own order so the state could appeal to the Supreme Court. That means the fight over Question 3 is not over yet.

Voters will have to wait for a higher court to weigh in before knowing for sure whether the question makes the ballot.