Maryland voters approve a constitutional amendment that allows Democratic lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional district boundaries. NBC News and PBS project the measure passes, and New Republic reports it clears with a margin of about 60% to 40% based on votes counted at the time described.
The amendment, known as Question 3, does not itself create a new congressional map. Instead, it expands the powers of state legislators in drawing the districts. New Republic adds that Maryland’s current constitutional requirements include keeping districts compact and respecting “natural boundaries,” and that the 1st district—held by Republican Andy Harris—is largely limited to Maryland’s eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay.
New Republic also provides context on the amendment’s legal path, saying Republican opponents challenged it in court and that the state Supreme Court permitted it to go to a vote. The outlet further notes that Democratic Governor Wes Moore campaigned for the measure and that former President Barack Obama endorsed it via a video. PBS and NBC focus more directly on the amendment’s effect and its likely impact on future congressional redistricting.
