Annapolis, MD — Common Cause Maryland is calling out a glaring lack of transparency from the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission, which decided to move forward with mid-decade redistricting today despite failing to release any proposed maps to the public.

The good government group says Marylanders were asked to weigh in on mid-decade redistricting without knowing how this process would impact their communities.

“Marylanders deserve to know how new maps would impact their representation before they were asked to support or oppose mid-decade redistricting,” said Joanne Antoine, Common Cause’s Maryland Executive Director. “It’s unfair to ask voters to comment on what they can’t see. Ultimately, this is about transparency; it’s about whether redistricting happens in the light of day or behind closed doors. The commission should immediately release any maps under consideration so the public can provide meaningful input, instead of putting the burden on members of the public to draw their own maps during the holidays.”

The commission has convened five times already without publishing a proposed map for public comment or review – a pattern that raises serious concerns about the commission’s commitment to public engagement and transparency. Tonight’s meeting may have also violated Open Meetings Laws for failing to provide adequate public notice.

Common Cause does not endorse partisan gerrymandering. Common Cause created its fairness criteria for mid-decade redistricting as a national framework to guide states as they navigate President Trump’s war on fair voting maps.

To read more about Common Cause’s fairness criteria, click here.

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