congressional redistricting map

A top DOJ official has suggested the agency supports scrutinizing the districts. The demand seems to extend the Supreme Court’s April 29 decision that limited states from using race to draw districts.

The head of the state clerks association says local election officials still lack access to the voter database needed to finalize new district assignments.

Brianna Lennon says she cannot determine which congressional map is in effect for the Aug. 4 primary.

The court will hear arguments that it should throw out the map passed by Republicans in a special session because it makes districts that are not compact. In the second case, the judges will consider whether a referendum filing automatically prevents a new law from taking effect.

Because these cases raise similar legal questions and involve related facts, the Supreme Court has consolidated them for purposes of oral argument.

While the decision is a loss for redistricting opponents, it does not necessarily mean the map passed last year will be in place for the 2026 election.

Only about 200,000 of the 300,000 signatures submitted to force a statewide vote on the gerrymandered congressional map are being checked. Backers of the referendum are less than 200 signatures short of making the ballot but want all signatures reviewed

The ruling Thursday marks a triumph for Republicans, who hope the new districts could help them win an additional seat.

The bench trial, originally scheduled for Feb. 18 in the Cole County Circuit Court, is now scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10.

An attorney for Secretary of State Denny Hoskins told a judge that the original ballot summary for a referendum on Missouri's gerrymandered congressional map is "inherently argumentative" and should be revised