Lawsuit, threat of criminal charges part of GOP effort to block vote on Missouri map

Photo: Protesters gathered in the Missouri Capitol rotunda Sept. 10 in opposition to a gerrymandered congressional district map. Photo credit: Annelise Hanshaw / Missouri Independent. Article by Jason Hancock. Missouri Independent – October 16, 2025.

As the campaign to repeal Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map approaches the 106,000 signatures needed to put the issue on the 2026 ballot, Republicans are pulling out all the stops to block it. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins announced Wednesday that roughly 100,000 signatures gathered so far for the referendum won’t count — and that gathering them before his office approved “constitutes a misdemeanor election offense.” Later in the day, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit arguing that holding a referendum on the congressional map is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to stop it. […]

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