Home Table of Contents

§ 5. Boundaries of districts

West's Annotated Code of MarylandConstitution of Maryland Adopted by Convention of 1867Effective: December 14, 2022

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Constitution of Maryland Adopted by Convention of 1867
Article III. Legislative Department
Effective: December 14, 2022
MD Constitution, Art. 3, § 5
§ 5. Boundaries of districts
Following each decennial census of the United States and after public hearings, the Governor shall prepare a plan setting forth the boundaries of the legislative districts for electing of the members of the Senate and the House of Delegates.
The Governor shall present the plan to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates who shall introduce the Governor's plan as a joint resolution to the General Assembly, not later than the first day of its regular session in the second year following every census, and the Governor may call a special session for the presentation of the plan prior to the regular session. The plan shall conform to Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this Article. Following each decennial census the General Assembly may by joint resolution adopt a plan setting forth the boundaries of the legislative districts for the election of members of the Senate and the House of Delegates, which plan shall conform to Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this Article. If a plan has been adopted by the General Assembly by the 45th day after the opening of the regular session of the General Assembly in the second year following every census, the plan adopted by the General Assembly shall become law. If no plan has been adopted by the General Assembly for these purposes by the 45th day after the opening of the regular session of the General Assembly in the second year following every census, the Governor's plan presented to the General Assembly shall become law.
Upon petition of any registered voter, the Supreme Court of Maryland shall have original jurisdiction to review the legislative districting of the State and may grant appropriate relief, if it finds that the districting of the State is not consistent with requirements of either the Constitution of the United States of America, or the Constitution of Maryland.

Credits

Acts 1949, c. 226, ratified Nov. 7, 1950; Acts 1956, c. 99, ratified Nov. 6, 1956; Acts 1969, c. 785, ratified Nov. 3, 1970; Acts 1972, c. 363, ratified Nov. 7, 1972; Acts 1977, c. 681, ratified Nov. 7, 1978. Amended by Acts 2021, c. 82, § 1, ratified Nov. 8, 2022, eff. Dec. 14, 2022; Acts 2021, c. 83, § 1, ratified Nov. 8, 2022, eff. Dec. 14, 2022.
MD Constitution, Art. 3, § 5, MD CONST Art. 3, § 5
Current through legislation effective through April 9, 2023, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document