A federal appeals court has directed a lower court to permit Missouri’s Republican-drawn congressional map, but paused its mandate for a week so the dispute can return to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Eighth Circuit concluded that switching back to the older map after the new districts were used in the August primary would create a federal constitutional problem. It ordered a permanent injunction favoring the newer plan. The ruling is not yet operational: the court stayed its effect until September 28, and election officials have already distributed absentee ballots using the 2022 districts.
The Missouri Supreme Court had earlier held that a valid referendum petition prevented immediate use of the replacement map. The U.S. Supreme Court then blocked a federal order that would have allowed the new districts for the November election. The latest decision places the conflict between state referendum rights, federal election rules and administrative deadlines back before the justices.
The disputed plan dismantles a Kansas City district represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver and could give Republicans seven of Missouri’s eight House seats. For now, the legal posture remains unsettled and the older map stays in use unless the Supreme Court changes course.
Official court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
