Federal Appeals Court Rules on Missouri Congressional Map Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal appeals panel ruled on Monday in favor of new congressional districts in Missouri that are backed by former President Donald Trump. This ruling comes despite a prior decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to block these districts from being used in the upcoming November election. The three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated that Missouri should use the newly drawn Republican districts for the November election, similar to the districts used in the August primary. The judges indicated that reverting to the previous districts would violate the U.S. Constitution. The panel directed a lower court judge to issue a permanent injunction against using any map other than the one favored by Trump. However, the ruling will not take immediate effect, as the panel ordered a one-week delay to allow for an appeal. Opponents of the new map have announced plans to file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has previously ruled against the Trump-backed map and has blocked enforcement of a lower court order that favored it while awaiting a potential appeal. Currently, Missouri is scheduled to conduct its November election using the same congressional districts as in 2024 and 2022, following decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Local election officials have already distributed absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters based on these districts. State law mandates that absentee ballots be available to all other voters by Tuesday. Changing the districts at this late stage would be challenging and costly, according to the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities. An attorney representing the Republican plaintiffs suggested there was still time to revert to the Trump-backed map. The appeals panel noted that courts have previously ordered changes even after absentee ballots were sent out. The panel emphasized that the Constitution prohibits Missouri from using a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than the one used in the August 2026 primary election. The panel included Judge James Loken, appointed by former President George H.W. Bush, and two Trump appointees, Judges David Stras and Justin Smith. Smith had previously represented Trump in a legal matter involving a jury verdict. The group People Not Politicians, which initiated a referendum petition to place the new map on the November ballot, plans to appeal the recent decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, criticized the legal actions, stating that ballots have already been printed and many Missourians have voted. He urged officials to focus on election administration rather than legal disputes.