For a third time, the US Supreme Court has told the state of Missouri to use the 2022 version of its House district maps as opposed to new maps drawn this year that would have likely shifted the Republican advantage in the state from 4-2 to 5-1. James summarized the previous court rulings here.
The Law Dork summarizes:
The U.S. Supreme Court made unambiguously clear on Friday evening that Missouri’s congressional elections would be conducted using the 2022 map that the Missouri Supreme Court held on September 3 needed to be used in this election.
In a sharp, but unsigned, per curiam opinion issued with no noted dissents, the U.S. Supreme Court harshly and repeatedly criticized the actions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit for its actions in the case.
The ruling was the third time the court rejected an effort to use a congressional map passed in 2025 that the Missouri Supreme Court held “has never been the law“ because it is subject to a referendum.
The whole thing has been absurd, and should underscore how much our system privileges how lines are drawn over the preferences of voters.
As frustrated as I have been with SCOTUS, I will give them kudos for getting salty in the ruling: “Given this Court’s two prior orders in this litigation, our conclusion that this was error should come as no surprise.”
Indeed.
