Supreme Court blocks Missouri from using its 2025 congressional map for the 2024 midterms.
Supreme Court Blocks Missouri’s 2025 Map
The Court issued a per curiam order Friday, halting a lower‑court injunction that would have forced Missouri to adopt the 2025 map for the upcoming elections.
A Missouri Supreme Court decision earlier this year ordered state officials to revert to the 2022 six‑Republican, two‑Democrat map and placed a referendum on the 2026 ballot, a move pushed by Democratic‑aligned activists.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order after several congressional candidates sued, demanding the 2025 map be used for the midterms.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied an emergency request from Missouri officials to pause the state Supreme Court’s ruling, clearing the way for the lower courts to act.
The 8th Circuit subsequently ordered Clark to issue a permanent injunction, saying that more than 1.4 million voters could be disenfranchised if the 2022 map remained in place.
In its Friday ruling, the Supreme Court said the 8th Circuit’s order conflicted with its earlier stays and applied the Purcell principle, which warns against changing election rules close to an election.
The justices concluded that the constitutional claim under Article I, Section 2 was not clearly established and that the equities favored staying the status quo.
Ballots have already been printed and absentee and overseas voting have begun under the 2022 map, making any switch to the 2025 map likely to cause confusion.
The Court noted that Missouri’s Secretary of State proceeded with the 2025 map for the primary despite knowing the legal risks.
The Supreme Court’s orders prohibiting lower courts from allowing the 2025 map remain in effect until further action, and it affirmed that the 2022 map may continue to be used for the 2026 elections.
