The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, September 25, 2026, rejected a request to use a Republican-drawn congressional map for Missouri's upcoming general election. In an unsigned opinion, the court ruled that the state must instead use the district boundaries established in 2022. The decision prevents the implementation of a 2025 map that reconfigured several districts, including one currently held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO).
The legal dispute followed a mid-decade redistricting effort initiated in 2025. While the new map was used during the state's August primary elections, the Missouri Supreme Court later barred its use for the general election because citizens had successfully petitioned to make the redistricting subject to a voter referendum. Federal courts subsequently issued conflicting orders, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit recently ordering the 2025 map reinstated, leading to this emergency appeal by the group People Not Politicians.
In its ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that because early voting had already begun and ballots had been mailed, changing the map now would "usher in electoral chaos." Missouri officials had previously argued that using the 2022 map for the general election after using the 2025 map for the primary could disenfranchise voters, but election officials like Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon expressed relief at the ruling, noting that thousands of absentee ballots based on the 2022 map had already been sent out.
For Missouri voters, the decision provides finality regarding which candidates will appear on their ballots for the November 3 general election. Residents who have already received or cast absentee ballots will not see their districts change again, avoiding the "practically impossible" task described by election officials of reprinting and redistributing thousands of ballots mid-election. However, because the primary was conducted under a different map, some voters will find themselves in different districts for the general election than they were for the August primary. Candidates will also be required to compete in the 2022 districts rather than the new boundaries they may have campaigned in over the last year.
The general election and the referendum regarding the redistricting plan itself will occur on November 3, 2026. The U.S. Supreme Court's order instructs lower courts not to interfere with the use of the 2022 map for the 2026 congressional election. While Republican Governor Mike Kehoe called the ruling "disappointing," he stated the state would comply with the court's order. Rep. Cleaver stated the decision represented a victory for the people.