Maryland primary election delayed due to court battle over voting districts

A Maryland judge has delayed the state's upcoming primary election by three weeks amid an ongoing court battle over how voting districts are drawn in the state.

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A court of appeals judge delayed the primary election day in the state on Tuesday from June 28 to July 19 due to a court case focused on state legislative districts and how and where residents vote to elect their state senator and representative.

Republicans in Maryland are challenging the Democrat-supported map laying out revised voting districts for the General Assembly's 188 members.

The General Assembly voted to pass the map along party lines with one Democrat voting with Republicans against the map. Now, Republicans argue that Democrats selected a map that unfairly benefits them.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Maryland moves 2022 primary election from June to July

"You can't under the Maryland Constitution have districts that are all over the place that include five houses on the eastern shore, seven houses in Hagerstown, and a big lump of people in southern Montgomery County," says Mark Graber from the University of Maryland School of Law. "That's different than the federal Constitution that has no explicit rule. So there's a lot more to litigate when you litigate state constitutions. And there's a lot more to litigate when you litigate in Maryland." 

When selecting the new legislative map, the overwhelmingly Democratic General Assembly had two opposing maps to choose from, one backed by Republican Governor Larry Hogan and drafted by a Hogan-appointed commission, and the other from a panel with Democratic leaders.

The judge who delayed the primary elections will hold a hearing in this case on March 23.

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The battle over state legislative districts is just part one. A second case, which began trial on Tuesday in Annapolis, focuses on Maryland's federal congressional map.

In that case, Republicans again are challenging the map and arguing that it violates Maryland's constitution.