Missouri congressional map dispute reaches Supreme Court again

The U.S. Supreme Court has stepped into a Missouri map dispute for the second time in 2026. Missouri's Republican-controlled legislature drew new congressional districts in 2025. Opponents gathered over 300,000 signatures to put the new map to a public vote in November. The state's Secretary of State rejected their petition on August 4. Missouri's Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the petition was valid and that an older map should be used. But a federal judge ordered the new map to stay in place because primaries had already used it. The U.S. Supreme Court then paused that federal order while the case continues. The Secretary of State could face a contempt proceeding for telling election officials to follow the 2025 map.