Missouri’s congressional districts could change again before the November midterm elections, giving some voters different district boundaries from those used in the state’s August primary. The dispute centers on a 2025 map that changed the balance of the state’s congressional districts and is now subject to a referendum.
What changed in Missouri
Missouri lawmakers approved a congressional map in 2022 as part of the once-a-decade redistricting process. That map contained six Republican-dominated districts and two Democratic-dominated districts. In 2025, the Legislature approved a replacement map that eliminated one Democratic-led district represented by Kansas City-area Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
The 2025 map was used when Missouri held its primary elections in August. Afterward, the grassroots organization People Not Politicians gathered enough signatures to put a referendum on the November ballot. The referendum seeks to overturn the newer map.
The Missouri Supreme Court said the referendum suspended the attempted redistricting. The U.S. Supreme Court has left that ruling in place on three occasions, most recently on Sept. 25. As a result, the boundaries used for the primary and the boundaries that may apply in the general election have become part of an ongoing legal and political dispute.
- The 2022 map divided Missouri into eight congressional districts.
- A 2025 legislative map removed one Democratic-led district.
- The November referendum challenges the 2025 map, while court rulings have suspended the change.
Why redistricting matters
Redistricting is the process of redrawing electoral boundaries, generally after the national census. Congressional lines determine which voters are grouped together and which candidates compete to represent them in the U.S. House. Because district boundaries can combine or separate communities, changing the map can also alter the partisan balance of individual districts.
The Missouri dispute is an example of how redistricting has become a national political flashpoint. The Carnegie coverage cited survey results showing limited public confidence in the process. A survey conducted in December 2025 and January 2026 by the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections at the University of California San Diego found that 27% of Democrats, 21% of independents and 35% of Republicans trusted that district lines fairly reflected what voters wanted.
A separate Gallup and Kettering Foundation poll found that 77% of Americans expressed concern about gerrymandering, the practice of drawing district lines to maximize political advantage. The findings show that concern crosses party affiliations, even though disputes over particular maps often involve competing partisan interests.
“Voters should choose their leaders, not the other way around. But we’re seeing people change the rules, using redistricting as a tool to secure power.” — Raymond Partolan, voting rights program officer at the State Infrastructure Fund
What voters need to follow
For Missouri voters, the immediate issue is which congressional boundaries will govern the general election after the referendum and court rulings. The state’s experience also demonstrates why voters should check their district information before casting a ballot when maps have changed between elections. The November vote will determine whether the 2025 map is overturned, while the courts’ decisions have already suspended its attempted use.
