Today I received a campaign mailer urging Maryland voters to vote for Question 3, the constitutional amendment concerning congressional redistricting. The front says, in large letters, “QUESTION 3 IS HOW WE STOP TRUMP’S POWER GRAB.” It argues that Republican-led states such as Texas and Florida have redrawn congressional districts to increase Republican power in Congress. Maryland Democrats, the mailer says, should “fight back” by voting for Question 3.

That certainly tells me why the group that sent the mailer wants Question 3 to pass. What it does not tell me is something more basic: What does Question 3 actually do?

That omission matters because voters are not being asked to approve a temporary political strategy. We are being asked to amend the Maryland Constitution.

What Question 3 actually changes

Today, the Maryland General Assembly draws Maryland’s congressional districts through legislation. Question 3 would not change that. Legislators in Annapolis would continue to decide where congressional district boundaries are drawn.

The important change involves the rules that can be used to judge those maps. Maryland’s Constitution contains standards for drawing legislative districts. Among other things, districts are supposed to be compact and contiguous, and lawmakers are supposed to pay attention to county and other political boundaries. A 2022 court ruling applied Maryland constitutional protections to a congressional redistricting plan and struck down the map adopted by the General Assembly. That ruling is an important part of the history behind Question 3.

If Question 3 passes, the Maryland Constitution would specifically say that certain districting requirements apply only to districts for the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates. It would also state that nothing in the Maryland Constitution provides criteria for the boundaries of congressional districts (Maryland State Board of Elections).

That is a significant change.