Second Maryland Judge Rules against Redistricting Amendment

On Friday Eastern Shore Administrative Judge S. James Sarbanes, ruled the amendment should be kept off the November ballot. He found that Democrats failed to follow state election laws and presented voters with misleading language by improperly combining separate issues into a single ballot question. Judge Sarbanes ordered the State Board of Elections to exclude the referendum from the November ballot. However, at the state’s request, that order is currently on hold while the decision is appealed to the Supreme Court of Maryland. As a result, question 3 amendment remains on track for the ballot for now.

This decision follows a similar ruling made Wednesday by Circuit Judge Robert Thompson in Anne Arundel County, which was also put on hold pending appeal. The Supreme Court of Maryland is scheduled to hear arguments for both challenges on September 3rd. It remains unclear how this ongoing litigation will impact the State Board of Elections’ Monday deadline to certify ballots for printing.