Baltimore leaders rally in support of Question 3 on congressional redistricting

Baltimore lawmakers rallied Friday in support of Question 3 that's set to appear on the ballot for the midterm elections this November. 

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott gathered with Baltimore County executive nominees Julian Jones and Vanessa Atterbeary and other leaders at War Memorial Plaza to urge residents to vote "yes" on the upcoming ballot measure. 

Question 3 would change the state constitution rules on congressional redistricting. Supporters say it would counter redistricting efforts in Republican-led states to ensure GOP control in Congress. 

Democratic lawmakers say they are using every tool available to challenge those efforts and the current administration. 

"We must fight fire with fire. We have to level the playing field," State Sen. Clarence Lam said at the rally. "We cannot unilaterally disarm, and I'm tired of bringing a pencil to a knife fight."

The rally came on the heels of two new polls showing mixed results for Question 3. One found more support for the measure, while the other showed more opposition. 

State's highest court rules Question 3 can appear on ballot

The battle over the ballot question reached the state's highest court, which ruled earlier this month that it could appear before voters this November. 

The State Supreme Court, however, directed the ballot summary to be rewritten to be more clear. 

Republicans had argued the language was confusing and combined too many changes into a single question. They also argued that the legislature failed to follow legal deadlines for getting the question onto the ballot.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the court ruling "a massive victory."

"This affirms what I have said from the very beginning: the final decision on how we draw our maps belongs in the hands of Marylanders, not politicians," Moore said at the time. "For over a year, I have warned that Donald Trump and Republicans across the country are working to rig the system, weaken voting rights, and make this pain permanent through aggressive mid-decade redistricting."

Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Maryland will hold Early Voting hours from Oct. 22 to 29.