09/04/2026
Maryland courts issued two big election law rulings today, both of which were clear wins for Democrats and their allies.
After a fast-tracked appellate hearing this morning, the state Supreme Court ruled this evening that Democrats' ballot measure for a state constitutional amendment to clarify the legal standards for congressional district maps, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly, MUST be on the November ballot for voters to decide (with some small tweaks to the precise language on the ballot). So-called "Freedom Caucus" extremist MAGA Republicans in the legislature had sued to try to prevent Marylanders from being able to weigh in on this important issue, relying on far-fetched procedural arguments that were rejected by the high court (a majority of which was appointed by Larry Hogan). As a result, the VOTERS will get to decide what rules govern future congressional district maps in Maryland, by voting on Question 3.
Also today, a trial court judge in Montgomery County issued a ruling on a petition effort by Republicans to add a local referendum to the ballot. The referendum would have given each member of the County Council an individual veto over the budget, an ill-conceived concept that would wreak havoc on the legislative process. The organizers had fallen short of the requirement to collect 10,000 valid signatures to get on the ballot, and they sued to challenge the determination of the Montgomery County Election Director. After a hearing yesterday, today Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Marybeth Ayers analyzed a large number of disputed signatures one-by-one on the record and determined that the plaintiffs had indeed fallen short. The result is that Question A will NOT be on the ballot.
Today, Maryland courts upheld the referendum laws of our state and county, protecting the authority of the co-equal legislative branch and respecting the process for determining when policy questions should and should not be put to the voters.
