Legal Requirements
The U.S. Constitution and the state constitution requires Maryland to redraw its congressional
and legislative district lines every 10 years following the census to maintain equal population.
The Supreme Court ruled in Wesberry v. Sanders that Article I, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution
requires congressional districts to be as equal in population as practicable. The 14th Amendment
and Article III, Section 4 of the
Maryland Constitution requires legislative districts be of
substantially equal population.
Redistricting Process in Maryland
Maryland’s constitution also lays out the process by which legislative districts are redrawn.
Article III, Section 5 requires
the Governor to conduct public hearings and introduce a legislative district plan
on the first day of the legislative session in the 2nd year following each census. This will
occur on January 11, 2012. The plan takes effect on the 45th day of the legislative session
unless the General Assembly enacts its own plan before the deadline.
The Governor is not legally required to draft a congressional plan, however, the Governor traditionally
introduces a congressional plan to the General Assembly for consideration. This year, a special session
is anticipated to finalize congressional districts in time for the 2012 election cycle.
Adjusted Data in Maryland
Chapter 67 of 2010 requires that population counts used to create legislative districts for the U.S.
Congress, General Assembly, and county and municipal governing bodies exclude incarcerated individuals
who were not State residents prior to their incarceration in either State or federal correctional
facilities and that incarcerated individuals who were State residents prior to their incarceration
be counted as residents at their last known address.
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The redistricting process for this decade for both congressional and legislative districts is completed.
This page will be updated only when or if there are new developments.
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General Timeline
| March 2011 | Census Data Released |
| July 2011 | Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Committee appointed |
| Summer 2011 | Governor’s Committee conducts public hearings |
| Late Summer 2011 | Governor’s Committee recommends Congressional map |
| October 2011 | Special Session on Congressional Redistricting |
| Late Fall – Early Winter 2011 | Governor’s committee recommends a Legislative Plan |
| December 2011 | Governor may hold an additional public hearing on the Committee’s recommendations |
| January 11, 2012 * | Governor introduces a legislative districting plan as a joint resolution on the first day of the regular session of the General Assembly |
| February 24, 2012 * | Governor’s legislative plan automatically becomes law if the General Assembly does not enact its own plan. |
| * Required by Law |
Committee Public Hearings
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The public hearings of the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Committee
have been completed. To view public submissions to the Committee
visit the Maryland Department of Planning's
Redistricting website
and click on Third Party Plans.
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