Overview
- The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the 2025 mid-decade congressional map cannot be used in the Nov. 3 general election and ordered Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to certify a referendum on the map for the November ballot.
- The court declared the petition by People Not Politicians legal, sufficient and timely and held that HB 1 will not take effect unless voters approve it, leaving the 2022 map in force for November unless the referendum passes.
- The ruling directs Hoskins to issue a certificate of sufficiency and to take all steps needed to place the referendum on the ballot before the state’s administrative deadlines for printing and overseas ballots.
- State lawyers had argued changing maps now would be technically impossible and disruptive but two county clerks told the court the statewide voter registration system links addresses to both old and new districts and local officials can revert to the 2022 map if ordered.
- The decision overturns a lower-court rejection of the petition and could be appealed to federal courts; it also affects a Trump-backed effort to reshape Missouri’s 5th District and may influence control of a U.S. House seat this fall.