Critics of Maryland Congressional Districts Reach Signature Goal

Maryland’s newly drawn U.S. Congressional boundaries will be put to a referendum vote this November, after critics campaigned to get enough signatures to put the new map on the ballot. 

reported that at least 55,736 valid signatures were needed, and on Wednesday, the State Board of Elections certified a sufficient amount for ballot placement.

“The current number that I have is 56,323 valid names there is still about 2,900 that are left to verifty,” Donna Duncan, Maryland’s election management division director, told Annapolis Patch.

Of the total 65,722 signatures collected, 3,326 came from Montgomery County residents. Thus far, 2,929 have been deemed valid.

In Prince George’s County, residents contributed 2,197, and 2,006 of those have been certified as valid. 

Critics recently attempted to challenge the new districts, which were adopted last year, in court, but the Supreme Court upheld the U.S. District Court’s decision to throw out the lawsuit. 

Tony Campbell, the president of Marylanders for Coherent and Fair Representation, told the Gazette that he was pleased opponents of the new map had gotten over this hurdle, but expects a legal challenge to the signatures from state Democrats.