Maryland House and Senate approve constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting referendum

Maryland lawmakers approved a measure that would place a constitutional amendment on the state ballot this fall to clarify the rules governing congressional redistricting. The House voted 96-38 to advance the proposal, and the Senate followed with a 32-13 vote, according to The Hill. The measure is then expected to move to the governor for signature before it can be referred to voters.

The constitutional change is designed to address how congressional districts are created and when redistricting plans take effect. Supporters and lawmakers framed the amendment as a way to make the state’s redistricting process more explicit in the Maryland Constitution, including how the process should operate during the fall election cycle.

Under the process described in the report, the amendment would go before Old Line State voters this fall. If approved by voters, the constitutional language would become part of Maryland’s governing framework for congressional districting going forward, affecting how subsequent maps would be developed and implemented after future redistricting deadlines.

While congressional redistricting is carried out under federal and state constitutional requirements, states set the internal procedures for drawing district boundaries. This measure focuses on clarifying Maryland’s constitutional structure for the congressional redistricting process, rather than redrawing district lines directly through the legislature.

The bill’s approval by both chambers means the next step is gubernatorial action. The Hill’s report describes the measure as moving to the governor for signature after clearing the House and Senate votes, setting up the question of whether the governor will sign it in time for the referendum to appear on the fall ballot.

Opposition and support positions were not detailed in the provided reporting packet beyond the described vote tallies and procedural path. Additional legal review may also be relevant once the text is finalized, since constitutional amendments can affect future litigation over redistricting timelines and the scope of legislative or other roles in mapmaking.

If the governor signs the referendum measure and voters approve it, Maryland’s constitutional clarification would take effect according to the amendment’s provisions and the state’s election law implementation steps, which would determine how soon the clarified rules apply to the redistricting process that follows the 2026 election cycle.