Missouri Mails Primary Ballots Using Disputed Gerrymandered Map
Missouri is mailing August 4 primary ballots to military and overseas voters using redrawn congressional districts that remain under legal challenge — affecting voters in 28 counties.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — Missouri election officials began mailing ballots Tuesday to military and overseas voters for the August 4 primary, using a redrawn congressional map whose legal status remains unresolved in the courts.
The ballots reflect district boundaries that reassign residents in 28 counties to different congressional districts than those they voted in during 2024. The new map was drawn by Republicans as part of a strategy to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in the 5th District.
What Changed on the Map
The redistricting added voters from 14 counties to the 5th District, while boundaries for five of the state’s seven other congressional districts also shifted. In eastern Missouri, St. Charles and Warren counties, which were previously split between the 2nd and 3rd districts, now fall entirely within the 3rd District under the new map.
Voters can check whether their congressional district has changed by visiting the Secretary of State’s voter outreach portal at voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Boone County Clerk’s Earlier Resistance
Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon had previously refused to update her county’s voter rolls amid the ongoing uncertainty. In May, Lennon said she would not make changes until Secretary of State Denny Hoskins decided whether a referendum on the new map would be held.
The question of whether voters would have the chance to weigh in on the redrawn districts through a referendum has added to the uncertainty surrounding the map’s legal standing, according to reporting by the Missouri Independent.
Legal Uncertainty Persists
Despite the unresolved legal questions, local election officials across Missouri moved forward with the Tuesday mailing deadline, using the disputed districts as the operative map for the August 4 primary. The gerrymandered congressional map was drawn by Republicans last year and has faced ongoing scrutiny since its passage.
The situation places county election officials in an unusual position, proceeding with a primary under district lines that could still be subject to legal challenge or a voter referendum before the general election cycle concludes.
