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An appeals panel directs Missouri to use its new Republican-drawn map in November
September 22, 2026
A three-judge federal appeals panel directed Missouri to keep its new Republican-drawn congressional districts for the November election and paused the order for one week.
Missouri's new Republican-drawn congressional districts, already used in the state's August 2026 primary, sit at the center of a long court fight that has reached the Supreme Court more than once.
Key facts
- Three judges on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals told Missouri to run its November election on the new Republican-drawn House districts, the same ones in place for the August primary.
- A federal appeals court directed Missouri to use the GOP-friendly redistricting plan for the November election on Monday, then put its own ruling on hold for one week, leaving the dispute with the Supreme Court.
- The appeals judges said going back to Missouri's earlier districts in the general election would break the US Constitution.
- One statement said, "Officials should stop wasting taxpayers' money on pointless legal action and instead focus on administering our elections."
AP News reports that three judges of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals told Missouri to run its November election on the new Republican-drawn House districts, the same ones in place for the August primary. The panel wrote in its decision, "The Constitution does not permit Missouri to use a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than it used in the August 2026 primary election." AP News also reports that the judges said the Constitution bars a return to Missouri's earlier districts for the general election, and that absentee ballots using those districts have already gone out to military voters and to citizens overseas.
CNN reports the same ruling and adds that the court held its own decision for one week so that the Supreme Court could look at the dispute. The Guardian reports the ruling as the latest turn in a long court battle over Missouri's congressional map, and notes the new districts carry Donald Trump's backing while the Supreme Court has kept them out of the November election. The New York Times carries the decision as a win for Missouri Republicans on the redrawn House map, and Politico describes it as the revival of a Republican gerrymander the Supreme Court had twice set aside.
The ruling itself, the one-week hold and the ballots already sent under the new districts are corroborated across CNN, AP News and The Guardian. What the Supreme Court does with the appeal inside that week is the part still in motion.
The appeals panel wrote, "The Constitution does not permit Missouri to use a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than it used in the August 2026 primary election."
the appeals panel
Still developing
The order the appeals panel put on hold is not final, because the Supreme Court could review the dispute.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- AP News — Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say - PBS
- CNN — Appeals court orders Missouri to use Trump-backed congressional map, setting up another Supreme Court battle
- The Guardian — Appeals court rules in favor of Trump-backed Missouri congressional maps
- politico.com — Appeals court revives GOP gerrymander in Missouri that Supreme Court killed off twice
Toggle read the full reports of 4 of the 6 outlets counted on this event. The other 2 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.