Supreme Court Again Reviews GOP's Gerrymandered Missouri Map
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The U.S. Supreme Court is once more forced to address Missouri Republicans' blatant attempt to rig congressional districts, as critics warn that the GOP's map undermines democracy and disenfranchises voters.
The U.S. Supreme Court received a third emergency appeal late Tuesday regarding Missouri's congressional redistricting plan, which has been aggressively pushed by Republicans to entrench their power. This latest appeal follows a federal appeals court ruling mandating the use of the GOP's undemocratic map for the November midterm election, citing the fact that primary ballots had already been printed and absentee voting had begun—an excuse that opponents argue prioritizes administrative convenience over voters' rights.
The coalition challenging the map emphasized to the Court that 'Ballots using the 2022 map have been printed and mailed, and absentee voting, both by mail and in-person, began today. Those ballots cannot be reassigned to new districts now.' Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative who oversees appeals from Missouri, has requested a response by Wednesday afternoon, raising concerns about impartiality in the process.
The disputed map would carve up the 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, by splitting his Kansas City base and extending the district into more rural, Republican-dominated areas. This blatant gerrymander would result in seven districts favoring conservatives and only one for Democrats, further skewing the already unbalanced 6-2 partisan split and silencing the voices of urban and minority voters.
Earlier this month, the Missouri Supreme Court blocked the 7-1 Republican map after a challenge based on the state constitution and a public referendum. State Republicans, determined to subvert the will of the people, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to intervene. A federal district court then ordered the use of the GOP map, a decision again appealed to the Supreme Court, which previously rejected the map without dissent.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the GOP map but paused its implementation pending further review. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling before Monday's deadline or grant a short extension, as the fight for fair representation continues.
University of Chicago law professor William Baude noted that the likelihood of the Court rejecting the map again is extremely high, describing the case as a troubling sign of the ongoing assault on voting rights and a preview of future election-related power grabs.