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Missouri Judge Lets GOP Congressional Map Stand for November Ballot

The Missouri Supreme Court will hear fast-track appeals on Sept. 2 with a Sept. 8 deadline to decide whether to alter the ballot.

FILE - Protesters against a Missouri congressional redistricting plan gather outside the Missouri Capitol on May 12, 2026, in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)
A sign in support of a proposed constitutional amendment backed by the group Respect Missouri Voters sits outside the Cole County Courthouse in Jefferson City, Mo., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
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Overview

  • Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled Wednesday that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins lawfully declined to certify a referendum on HB 1 and that the GOP-drawn map remains in effect for the 2026 general election.
  • Green also found Wednesday that the proposed Amendment 6 from Respect MO Voters is unconstitutionally broad because it combines multiple subjects and would improperly bind future legislatures.
  • Records and filings show both petition drives submitted enough signatures to qualify, but Hoskins refused certification on the separate ground that each measure violated state constitutional limits.
  • Both Cole County decisions were appealed and the Missouri Supreme Court set expedited oral arguments for Sept. 2, with a Sept. 8 deadline to add items to Nov. 3 ballots and court orders noting federal and administrative deadlines make last-minute map changes difficult.
  • The dispute has direct political stakes: the new map reshapes Kansas City and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th District to include more rural Republican areas, part of a broader Republican mid-decade redistricting push backed by President Donald Trump that could affect control of U.S. House seats.