Missouri Redistricting Referendum Blocked

The state will not let voters challenge Missouri’s GOP-drawn congressional map.

•Balanced

GOP scheme to stifle democratic initiatives goes down in flames

Missouri Elections Official Blocks Petition Challenging GOP-Friendly Redistricting Map

Missouri secretary of state rejects bid to undo GOP-drawn congressional map

Summary

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify a citizens’ referendum petition that sought to put the state’s new congressional map before voters in a November statewide election. Supporters had submitted hundreds of thousands of signatures to challenge the Republican-led Legislature’s Trump-backed map, which would give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in Missouri’s U.S. House delegation by eliminating one Democratic-held seat. Hoskins said the petition was insufficient because challenging a congressional map by referendum is unconstitutional under Missouri law; opponents could now take the dispute to court.

The Coverage

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Some commentary

Coverage Angles

Ballot power attackLeans Left

Missouri Republicans tried to weaken citizen-led democracy by making it harder for voters to use ballot petitions. Their actions served partisan power and undermined Missourians’ ability to challenge GOP policies directly.