redistricting

Missourians will decide on Nov. 3 whether to approve Republicans' gerrymandered congressional map, or reject it entirely. Gov. Mike Kehoe said this week that the redistricting push was still worthwhile, even though Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II will likely win another term and the saga resulted in protracted litigation.

Missouri lawmakers redrew the state’s congressional lines in 2025, in an attempt to oust Kansas City Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and add a Republican seat to the U.S. House. But after a successful petition campaign, the new map was blocked from taking effect for this election, and voters in November will decide whether to approve or reject it.

With voting already underway, Missouri GOP leaders are now organizing efforts for a “yes” vote on Proposition A, a referendum on the 2025 redistricting map, and a “no” vote on Amendment 6, which would restrict the ability of lawmakers to change measures enacted by initiative petition.

This is the third time the high court has stymied efforts to implement a map aimed at ousting Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II for this November's election.

Opponents of Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map are asking the justices to block a federal ruling requiring its use as voting begins.

A federal appeals court has again sided with Missouri Republicans, ruling the state must use the GOP-leaning congressional map passed by lawmakers last year. Plus: how new limits on federal student loans are impacting future physicians in Kansas.

"A voter who has already cast an absentee ballot cannot vote another ballot," even if the legal back-and-forth over Missouri's congressional map ends with a different version being used, local election officials said.

The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether to order the November election to be held in the same district lines used for the primary. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled a referendum made that map, drawn in 2025 to benefit Republicans, has no legal effect.

While the 8th Circuit Court judges appeared sympathetic to the Republican plaintiffs, redistricting proponents would also need to overcome barriers from the U.S. Supreme Court and warnings from elections officials that it’s now too late to change course for the November election.

The proposed class action is the third lawsuit filed against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in less than a week. It's seeking damages for voters who cast August primary ballots in congressional districts different than in November, arguing that Hoskins deliberately delayed ruling on a referendum challenging the map.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins wants the 8th Circuit Court to restore the redrawn, GOP-favoring congressional districts and toss out the ballot referendum challenging the map. But county clerks argued that any more changes to the November election would require delays, massive costs and voter confusion.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the state must use its 2022 congressional map for the upcoming November elections — rather than the redrawn map used during the primary. That means a much different race for candidates in the 5th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and his Republican Rick Brattin.