An Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge has blocked a proposed Maryland constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting from appearing on the November ballot.
The ruling Wednesday came in a lawsuit brought by Republican lawmakers and others, including Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey and Minority Whip Justin Ready. They argued the General Assembly failed to follow election procedures established under Senate Bill 29 when it approved the measure during a special session.
Judge Robert Thompson ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding legal problems with the process and wording of the proposed amendment.
The state is expected to appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court. Election officials face an August 31 deadline to finalize ballot language for the November 3 election. A separate lawsuit challenging the amendment is also pending in Dorchester County.
Hershey and Ready say the case is about ensuring state officials follow Maryland’s constitutional and election laws.
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