Photo: Jeff Kubina (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons (source)
The Supreme Court on Friday, Sept. 25, barred Missouri from using its Republican-drawn 2025 congressional map in November, ruling that the state's 2022 map must govern the 2026 general election because voting has already started.
The unsigned per curiam order granted an emergency request from People Not Politicians, the group behind a referendum petition on the new map. It stayed a Sept. 21 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and related district court injunctions, that would have required the 2025 lines. There were no noted dissents, The Hill reported.
"At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos," the court wrote. It said ballots drawn on the 2022 map had been printed and mailed, and that absentee, military and overseas voting were underway.
How it got here
Missouri's legislature passed the new map in 2025. The Hill reported it would have produced a 7-1 Republican delegation, compared with 6-2 under the older lines, and split the Kansas City district held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat. After citizens gathered enough signatures for a referendum, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 3 that the 2025 map "is not the law and has never been the law" unless voters approve it, according to the opinion.
The state had nonetheless used the 2025 map for its August primaries. Voters and candidates then argued in federal court that the U.S. Constitution required Missouri to keep the primary map for the general election. The Supreme Court rejected that effort twice earlier this month, including a Sept. 10 stay from the full court, before the Eighth Circuit ordered a permanent injunction.
"Given this Court's two prior orders in this litigation, our conclusion that this was error should come as no surprise," the justices wrote. They also said the Eighth Circuit was wrong to blame the state court for the late changes, noting that the Missouri Supreme Court had flagged the referendum issue in May, before the primary.
Reaction
Cleaver told St. Louis Public Radio, in an interview aired by NPR, that "the people won this battle." Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said her office had already sent thousands of absentee ballots and could now tell voters the ballots "are not going to change."
According to NPR's reporting, mid-decade redistricting across several states had tilted about nine more House seats toward Republicans than Democrats; without Missouri, the figure falls to about eight.
What's next
The referendum on the 2025 map goes to Missouri voters on Nov. 3, NPR reported. Some voters will be in different districts than they were for the primaries.
Sources
- Supreme Court of the United States: People Not Politicians v. Onder, No. 26A388 (per curiam) (2026-09-25)
- The Hill: Supreme Court blocks use of GOP-favored map in Missouri — again (2026-09-25)
- NPR: Supreme Court rejects GOP-backed Missouri map, preserving key seat for Democrats (2026-09-26)
Motion Media News corrects errors promptly. To report one, email hello@motionnews.studio.
Added to the Motion Media archive on Sep. 28, 2026.
