Montgomery County voters will decide in November whether to let state lawmakers redraw Maryland's congressional map, after the General Assembly approved a redistricting constitutional amendment during a three-day special session that ended Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The House of Delegates passed House Bill 2100 by a vote of 96-38, and the Senate followed hours later, 32-13. Both chambers cleared the three-fifths threshold required to place a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The measure matters locally because Maryland's 8th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Jamie Raskin, sits entirely within Montgomery County, covering Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac and Takoma Park. Raskin publicly pushed state Democrats to revive the redistricting effort, MyMCMedia reported.

House Majority Leader David Moon, a Montgomery County Democrat representing District 20, was among the most vocal supporters during hours of floor debate on Aug. 4. "Now is not the time for Maryland, and Maryland alone, to tie its hands on congressional redistricting," Moon said during the debate, according to WYPR.

What the amendment does

The bill does not draw new districts or affect the 2026 election. If voters approve it in November, the legislature could redraw congressional maps as early as January 2027 for the 2028 cycle.

The amendment clarifies that Maryland's constitutional requirements for compact, contiguous districts apply only to state legislative maps, not congressional ones. That distinction overrides a 2022 ruling by Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Lynne Battaglia, who struck down a Democratic-drawn congressional map using standards previously applied only to state legislative districts.

House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk said the legislation does not draw new districts or change any lines on a map, calling it a clarification of Maryland law, according to Democracy Docket.

Maryland currently holds a 7-1 Democratic congressional delegation, with Rep. Andy Harris (R-District 1) as the sole Republican. If voters approve the amendment and lawmakers draw a new map, it could produce an 8-0 Democratic delegation by reconfiguring Harris's Eastern Shore district, WTOP reported.

Republicans introduced 20 amendments during House floor debate, including proposals to ban mid-cycle redistricting and transfer map-drawing to an independent commission. All failed, according to The Daily Record.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) said Republicans plan to get the case into court as quickly as possible to delay the process, according to Maryland Matters. Republicans argue Democrats did not comply with state law requiring a 90-day public comment period before placing constitutional amendments on the ballot. Whether a lawsuit has been filed was not confirmed as of Aug. 5.

Why now

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) framed the effort as defensive. At an Aug. 3 press conference in Annapolis, Ferguson said the session was necessary because without addressing the legal uncertainty first, any other action would jeopardize the state's current map, as Bethesda Magazine reported.

Ferguson reversed his earlier opposition to redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act in April 2026, which opened the door for Republican-led states to redraw maps. Eight states have since redrawn congressional maps to help Republicans, who could pick up as many as 16 House seats nationally.

What's next

Gov. Wes Moore is scheduled to hold a ceremonial bill signing Thursday, Aug. 6, though constitutional amendments do not require the governor's signature. The ballot question must be certified by the Maryland Secretary of State by Wednesday to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

If voters reject the amendment, the redistricting effort ends for this cycle. If they approve it, the General Assembly could take up new congressional districts as early as January.