The US Supreme Court on Friday turned away an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map, backed by Donald Trump, for the November midterm elections. This decision brings an end to a prolonged legal dispute as absentee voting is already underway.
The justices halted a federal appeals court ruling that would have reinstated the Republican-friendly map. Instead, the Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this month that a citizen petition prevents the new map from being used without voter approval in a November referendum.
Consequently, Missouri residents will cast their votes under the same congressional districts that were in place for the 2022 and 2024 elections. The high court stated in an unsigned opinion that "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos."
Republicans had hoped the new House map, which was already utilised in the August primaries, could secure them an additional seat in the midterms. The redistricting effort, pushed by Trump, aimed to gain an advantage in the elections that will determine control of Congress.