Missouri election clerks caught in limbo over disputed congressional map

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) -Missouri election clerks are updating voter rolls without knowing which congressional map will be used for the August election.

The map passed in a special legislative session last year splits up Kansas City’s vote in a way that is likely to send one more Republican to Washington. More than 300,000 signatures on a veto petition are being checked for authenticity. If enough signatures are valid, the new map will be put on pause retroactively.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins confirms the new map is in effect right now, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruling says it’s “impossible to say” which map will be in effect by the time of the August primary election.

But election officials like Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon are speaking out, saying it’s impossible to know which map to use until the signatures are verified.

“Our hope is that the Secretary of State’s Office makes a determination sooner rather than later so that we can put all this uncertainty to rest,” Lennon said.

Hoskins said he will use the full time available to review signatures.

“I’m going to use the entire time that I have possible in order to review those signatures, let the county clerks do their job and certify those signatures, and then begin my certification process,” Hoskins said.

Lennon said she needs confirmation by early June on which map will be in effect in order to send out military and absentee ballots. Hoskins has until Aug. 4, the same day as the primary election, to certify the veto petition.

Lennon started moving voters into their new districts but is concerned about the potential fallout if there’s no legal confirmation on which map to use. The consequences could be as dire as having to completely redo the election, which brings funding concerns.

“I have full confidence that local elections will make it work,” Lennon said. “It’s going to take resources, and I’m not sure where those resources will come from.”

People Not Politicians, the campaign behind the veto petition, filed a lawsuit against Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Monday. The lawsuit demands they cease attempts to intimidate and coerce elected officials into using an invalid map for the 2026 elections or issue the referendum as insufficient and move forward with judicial review of that decision.

“The Supreme Court of Missouri made it clear there was one path needed to be able to conduct an election that all Missourians can be confident in. We need to take that path,” said Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians. “There are more than enough signatures, verified by election authorities, to qualify the referendum.”

Von Glahn said Hoskins is risking conducting an invalid election by refusing to acknowledge what he called sufficient signatures. If the veto petition is verified, Missourians will vote on which map to keep in November.

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