Maryland's Highest Court Extends Candidate Filing Deadline

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland's highest court has extended the state's candidate filing deadline by a month amid legal challenges to new political boundaries approved by the General Assembly.

The Court of Appeals announced Friday the new deadline will be March 22 at 9 p.m. in order to provide adequate time for judicial review. The former deadline was Feb. 22.

Maryland lawmakers last month approved a new map that defines boundaries for all 188 seats in the legislature.

The map is being challenged because of allegations of gerrymandering. That's when districts are drawn to favor a political party in power by either packing voters of the opposing party into a few districts or splitting them among multiple ones to dilute their influence.

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