Missouri secretary of state recieves more than 600 boxes of signatures as redistricting battle continues

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 305,000 signatures on a petition to put a new congressional map to a vote were being scanned and counted by the secretary of state's Elections Division on Tuesday after months of collection by People Not Politicians.

If approved, the signatures would put Missouri's new congressional map on the November 2026 ballot for voter approval. The new map was initially signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe in September. The maps are typically redrawn every decade after the census, but the White House has pushed for Republicans in several states to redraw maps now to give them an electoral advantage.

The map splits Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District in Kansas City into three. This will merge it with more rural and Republican areas, likely removing Cleaver's seat and giving the Republican Party a boost in the next election.

The signature submission comes as a federal judge on Monday dismissed the Missouri attorney general's lawsuit against People Not Politicians and other groups who claimed the referendum is unconstitutional and infringes on lawmakers' constitutional right to draw the congressional map.

The judge ruled that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins can reject the referendum during post-submission review.

Until Hoskins certifies the signatures as sufficient or insufficient, the new district map remains frozen. The Secretary of State's Office declined to comment on litigation.

This is an ongoing story.