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ACLU Sues to Freeze Missouri’s New Congressional Map Pending Referendum

The case tests if submitted referendum signatures suspend a law before officials verify them.

Boxes of petition signatures are stacked up to be delivered Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, to the secretary of state's office in Jefferson City, Mo., calling for a referendum election on new U.S. House districts approved by the Missouri legislature. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

Overview

  • Filed in Cole County on behalf of two Jackson County voters, the lawsuit asks a court to halt use of the map until voters decide a referendum.
  • Opponents say more than 305,000 signatures submitted by People Not Politicians should trigger an immediate pause under longstanding Missouri precedent.
  • Attorney General Catherine Hanaway argues the map remains in force until Secretary of State Denny Hoskins verifies sufficient valid signatures.
  • The timeline is pivotal because candidate filing for Congress runs Feb. 24 to March 31, 2026, while local verification could continue into late July.
  • The redrawn districts are reported to bolster Republican chances by reshaping a Kansas City seat, and the case is one of multiple challenges to the mid‑decade map.