Appeals court orders Missouri to use 2025 congressional map

Appeals court sets the map

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Missouri must use its 2025 congressional map in the November election. That map will determine the district boundaries used for the state’s congressional contests if the ruling takes effect.

The decision concerns which set of district lines governs the election. It does not decide which candidates will appear on the ballot or determine the outcome of any congressional race.

The appeals court did not make its order immediately effective. It stayed, or temporarily paused, the order through Sept. 28 so the U.S. Supreme Court has an opportunity to review the case. The stay delays the legal effect of the order but does not erase the appeals court’s ruling.

What happens next

The Sept. 28 deadline creates a period for Supreme Court review before the appeals court’s order takes effect. Supreme Court review is a separate step from the 8th Circuit’s decision.

If the Supreme Court does not change the legal situation during that period, the appeals court’s ruling requires Missouri to use the 2025 map in November. Any Supreme Court action could affect when or whether the 8th Circuit’s order takes effect.

Congressional maps divide the state into districts for U.S. House elections. The map in force determines which voters are grouped within each district and which district’s congressional contest appears on their ballots.