Full Breakdown
Missouri Election Officials Race to Finalize Ballots as Courts Mandate 2022 Map
By Drooid · · How we work
Election-Board scramble amid legal turmoil
After a year-long dispute over a Republican-drawn congressional map, Missouri’s local election officials are preparing two sets of ballots to meet a September deadline for overseas and military voters. In Boone County, Clerk Brianna Lennon reported a similar ? 40 % of voters reassigned, adding that the redistricting fight set her team back about two weeks.
Legal backdrop and outcomes
The map, known as House Bill 1 or the “2025 gerrymander,” was blocked by the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled that it could not take effect without voter approval in a November referendum. The court’s decision forced the state to retain the 2022 congressional map for the upcoming midterm election. A federal district court had briefly ordered use of the 2025 map, but the U.S. Supreme Court paused that order on September 10, leading Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to comply with the state-court ruling. Republicans filed an appeal in the Eighth Circuit on September 8, but the appeal now concerns future redistricting cycles rather than the current ballot.
Official statements & responses
In a statement following the Supreme Court’s intervention, Denny Hoskins said, “In accordance with that order, my Office is directing local election authorities to use the 2022 congressional map.” Brianna Lennon noted that the prolonged litigation gave officials extra time to “game out likely outcomes” and prepare for the inevitable use of the 2022 map, a preparation she described as beneficial.
Verbatim quotes
- “In terms of preparation, what that meant was everything other than printing the ballots and the things that flowed from that was prioritized to make sure that we got it done.” — Brianna Lennon, County Clerk
- “We will be playing catch up for a few weeks in order to get us back where we need to be on our timeline when it comes to proofing ballots and then testing our equipment and things like that.” — Brianna Lennon, County Clerk
- “In accordance with that order, my Office is directing local election authorities to use the 2022 congressional map.” — Denny Hoskins, Secretary of State
The combined effect of the court rulings and the extensive ballot-preparation effort underscores how Missouri’s electoral infrastructure has been reshaped by the contested redistricting fight.