Missouri asks US Supreme Court to preserve new congressional district map
The US state of Missouri has filed an emergency motion with the US Supreme Court asking it to preserve a new congressional district map ahead of the November elections. The state is seeking to block a Missouri Supreme Court ruling that required abandoning the new HB 1 map and returning to the 2022 version, reports Anadolu Agency.
Dispute over districts
The new map was drawn by Republicans to expand the party's majority in the US House of Representatives. It provides for seven Republican districts and one Democratic district, while the 2022 map has a six-to-two split.
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that the new plan was officially suspended after a referendum petition was filed. The legal dispute began after a small group of residents organized such a petition and collected signatures from 3.3% of voters.
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Missouri officials argue that allowing such a minority to suspend a state law conflicts with the Elections Clause of the US Constitution. In their view, this clause grants state legislatures primary authority over the organization of federal elections.
Deadlines before the vote
Missouri Solicitor General Louis J. Capozzi said that returning to the old map would create unprecedented chaos. The state's primaries were already held in August under the new district boundaries. According to him, changing the plan would move hundreds of thousands of voters into other districts, where they would have to vote for candidates in whose nomination they did not participate.
State representatives emphasize that it is impossible to change the map before the November vote. Under federal rules on military voting, ballots for military personnel overseas must be sent by September 19. To return to the previous plan, the state would have to manually reprogram election databases and redo ballots throughout Missouri.
