Missouri's Supreme Court halted the new House map and sent a referendum to the November ballot.
Why it matters: The ruling keeps Missouri's current congressional map in place for now, preserving the 2022 lines unless voters later approve a change. It also complicates Republican efforts to win an additional U.S. House seat in the state.
- The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Sept. 3, 2026, in a case over House Bill 1.
- The court said election officials must place the redistricting referendum on the November 2026 general-election ballot by Sept. 8.
- The map at issue was enacted in a 2025 special session and was designed to give Republicans an extra U.S. House seat.
- Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said the state would immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Missouri Supreme Court said the referendum petition on House Bill 1 was "legal, sufficient, and timely," and found that the secretary of state wrongly rejected it. The court ordered election officials to put the measure on the November 2026 ballot, setting up a statewide vote on whether the new congressional map can take effect. Court opinion
The decision means the existing 2022 congressional map remains operative for the 2026 election cycle unless voters later approve the referendum. That preserves the lines now in place and blocks immediate use of the 2025 special-session map Republicans passed to try to gain a seat in the U.S. House. Coverage of the ballot-placement ruling
The fight centers on Missouri's 5th Congressional District, which includes Kansas City and was redrawn under House Bill 1. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins had found the petition legally insufficient before the high court reversed that decision. Opinion details Reporting on the petition challenge
Hanaway said the state would immediately appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to reporting on the decision. The ruling leaves the broader partisan fight unresolved as Missouri Republicans and opponents of the map prepare for the next legal round. Appeal reporting
By the numbers
- 9-3-2026 - Date of the Missouri Supreme Court ruling.
- 9-8-2026 - Deadline the court set for placing the referendum on the November ballot.
Yes, but: The ruling does not settle the map's fate permanently; voters could still approve the referendum and change the congressional lines.
What's next: Election officials must place the referendum on the Nov. 2026 ballot by Sept. 8, and the state said it will seek Supreme Court review.