Overview
- Legislative leaders announced the special session to run Aug. 3–5 to consider legislation that would place a proposed state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 2026 ballot if each chamber approves it by a three‑fifths vote.
- Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Peña‑Melnyk said the move responds to recent Supreme Court decisions that they say weakened parts of the Voting Rights Act and created legal uncertainty around congressional redistricting.
- Lawmakers have not released the amendment text, and supporters say the change would not alter the 2026 elections but could allow lawmakers to redraw districts for the 2028 cycle if voters ratify the amendment.
- Maryland Republicans called the session a partisan power grab aimed at eliminating the state's lone GOP-held seat, and critics pointed to Ferguson’s reversal after he earlier blocked a House-drafted mid‑decade map.
- The action is part of a broader national wave of mid‑decade redistricting that has produced legal fights in several states and could trigger further court challenges and political consequences depending on the amendment’s final language and voter response.