Missouri Supreme Court Unanimously Blocks Gerrymandered Map

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the new gerrymandered Congressional map cannot be used for the November elections, and that Amendment 6 will appear on the ballot as well.
By Heather — September 4, 2026

The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled against Trump and the Republicans' plot to further gerrymander the Congressional districts for the 2026 midterm elections despite their best efforts to run out the clock.

As we already discussed, they heard oral arguments this Wednesday, and just a day later, unanimously served up a severe blow to the GOP trying to rig the midterms: Missouri Supreme Court blocks gerrymandered congressional map, orders referendum vote:

The court also ruled the congressional districts used in Missouri’s August primary cannot be used in the Nov. 3 general election.

The decision puts a congressional plan before voters for the first time since 1922 and affirms that the Missouri Constitution’s provision allowing voter-initiated referenda applies to redistricting plans as well as almost all other legislation.

The court’s decision comes five days before the deadline for adding measures to the Nov. 3 ballot.

“Because the plain language of… the Missouri Constitution authorizes a referendum as to ‘any act of the general assembly’ and no exception applies, the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely,” Judge Ginger Gooch wrote in the unanimous opinion. “This court reverses the circuit court’s judgment.”

And to make sure Secretary of State Denny Hoskins understands what the decision means, the court added an order barring him from using the map for the Nov. 3 elections.

“The secretary and all of those acting in concert with him are restrained and enjoined from implementing, using, or mandating the use of the congressional redistricting (plan from 2025) for the November 2026 general election or at any other time thereafter unless and until (the act) is approved by the voters at the November 2026 general election and takes effect 30 days thereafter,” Gooch wrote.

Hanaway is hoping SCOTUS will save them:

Trump reacted on Truth Social:

Matthew Chapman with more on their stalling technique that failed:

And from STL Today's Tony Messenger:

Fred Wellman responds:

This was also a big win on Amendment 6 which should put a stop to these Republicans constantly overturning the voters when we pass ballot initiatives as they've done time and time again:

The Supreme Court in a separate unanimous decision also ordered Amendment 6 to appear on the ballot in November, reversing a Cole County judge's decision.

The amendment would bar state lawmakers from ever limiting citizen initiative powers, and it would also require 80% approval in both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives for lawmakers to pass legislation that would repeal what voters have already decided on.

The measure would stop lawmakers from ever again proposing something like Amendment 4, which voters overwhelmingly defeated in the August election.

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify the more than 367,000 signatures Respect Missouri Voters submitted to his office to qualify this initiative for the ballot.

Hoskins argued Amendment 6 violates the Missouri Constitution's single-subject rule and that it contradicts the U.S. Constitution's foundational guarantee that every American be served by a representative-republican form of government, where people elect lawmakers to draft and enact policy on their behalf.

However, the Missouri Supreme Court said Hoskins' certification of the measure as insufficient did not identify any reason for the measure's insufficiency and did not comply with state law. The court also said Hoskins' claims that the measure violates the Missouri Constitution's single-article and single-subject requirements lack merit.

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