Maryland lawmakers set to convene Aug. 3 for special redistricting session
Gov. Wes Moore has convened the Maryland General Assembly for an extraordinary session in Annapolis beginning Aug. 3, 2026, to consider a proposed constitutional amendment involving congressional districts.
The call, issued as Executive Order 01.01.2026.14, directs lawmakers to consider constitutional language clarifying that requirements for state legislative districts do not apply to congressional districts. The proclamation frames the matter in terms of voting rights and fair representation.
The order starts a legislative session, but it does not itself establish new congressional district boundaries or put a constitutional amendment into effect. The approved source material does not provide the precise constitutional text lawmakers will take up or a final legislative outcome.
What the special session will address
The stated focus of the session is the relationship between Maryland constitutional requirements for legislative districts and the state’s congressional districts. The proposal is described as a constitutional clarification, rather than as a map adopted by the governor’s order.
Associated Press reported that legislative leaders characterized the proposal as an effort to clarify the Maryland Constitution following a 2022 court ruling. The source packet does not identify the court, describe that ruling, or provide the exact amendment language.
That distinction is central to what is known ahead of the session. Lawmakers have been called to consider a constitutional change affecting the rules applied to congressional districts. No final congressional map is set out in the proclamation, and the order does not guarantee that legislators will approve a measure.
Why the session matters
The extraordinary session puts Maryland’s legal framework for congressional redistricting before the General Assembly. The proclamation identifies voting rights and fair representation as part of its stated purpose, while AP reported that the proposal could carry consequences for partisan balance and congressional seats.
Those possible consequences remain contingent on what lawmakers consider and ultimately do. The official call does not establish that Maryland has redrawn congressional districts, nor does it establish that an amendment will pass or take effect.
The session also comes amid a broader national conflict over mid-decade map changes and voting representation, according to the source packet’s context and AP’s reporting. The Maryland proposal should not, however, be characterized as solely partisan based on the material available.
Order also rescinds earlier action
Executive Order 01.01.2026.14 also rescinds Executive Order 01.01.2026.12 and terminates the state of preparedness that had previously been in effect. The Maryland Register’s record of the executive order documents those actions alongside the call for the extraordinary session.
The source material does not specify the reason for the earlier state of preparedness or connect its termination to any particular outcome of the redistricting proposal. It confirms only that the governor included both actions in the same order.
What happens next
The confirmed next step is the General Assembly’s Aug. 3 convening in Annapolis. Coverage of that session will be needed to determine the exact text considered, whether lawmakers advance constitutional language, and whether any action changes the framework for addressing congressional redistricting in Maryland.
Until then, the governor’s proclamation remains a call for lawmakers to consider a proposal—not a final resolution of Maryland’s congressional district rules.
Sources
- Maryland Register executive order and proclamation, Maryland Department of State Documents
- Maryland lawmakers to meet in August for special session on redistricting, Associated Press