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The new map was drawn to help Republicans gain a U.S. House seat
in the pivotal midterm elections, which will determine control
of Congress. The Supreme Court has twice blocked efforts to use
it in November.
The latest emergency appeal comes after an unusual federal
appeals court ruling that ordered a last-minute return to a
GOP-friendly map even after the Supreme Court halted such a
move.
The justices had left in place a Missouri Supreme Court decision
requiring the state to use its previous map. The state court
ruled that the new districts could not take effect unless voters
approved them in a statewide referendum.
The U.S. Supreme Court gave supporters of the new map until
midday Wednesday to respond to the latest appeal.
The dispute has caused confusion for over a million potential
voters who could be shuffled among districts. Absentee voting
already is underway in Missouri using districts adopted in 2022,
after the last census.
The new congressional map backed by Trump significantly reshapes
a Kansas City-based district held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel
Cleaver. Republicans hope the map could help them win seven of
the state’s eight House seats — one more than they currently
hold.
Missouri’s redistricting battle has been the longest and most
complex among roughly a dozen states that sought to change their
U.S. House districts over the past year. Districts are usually
redrawn at the start of each decade, after a census. But Trump
spurred a spate of mid-decade redistricting last year when he
urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to gain an edge
in the midterm.
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