Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal appeals panel recently sided with President Donald Trump's redrawn congressional districts in Missouri, despite the U.S. Supreme Court blocking their use in the November election. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the new Republican-drawn districts should be employed for the upcoming election, similar to how they were used in the August primary.

The panel emphasized that using the prior districts would contravene the U.S. Constitution. However, the ruling does not have immediate implications as the appellate court extended the enforcement deadline by a week to accommodate an appeal. The Supreme Court has previously dismissed the Trump-backed map twice and halted a lower court's order supporting the map, pending an appeal and eventual decision by the high court.

Missouri is currently obligated to hold its November election using the same congressional districts from 2024 and 2022, following earlier rulings from the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Absentee ballots for overseas citizens and military voters have already been dispatched using these districts, with state law mandating the availability of absentee ballots to all other voters by Tuesday.