Missouri Opponents Force Public Vote on Trump-Backed Redistricting
Missouri opponents submitted over 300,000 signatures to force a public vote on Trump-backed redistricting, challenging the new congressional map.
Overview
Organizers in Missouri, including the group People Not Politicians, submitted over 300,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office.
This action aims to force a statewide public vote, or referendum, on the Trump-backed redistricting plan in the upcoming November election.
The challenge specifically targets Missouri's new congressional map, which opponents argue constitutes gerrymandering and requires public scrutiny.
The People Not Politicians group has raised approximately $5 million, primarily from out-of-state organizations, to support their referendum campaign.
The submitted signatures are currently awaiting formal verification by local election authorities and Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.
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FAQ
Organizers can submit petition signatures to trigger a statewide public vote on the redistricting plan. The submitted signatures await verification by election authorities, after which the referendum may appear on the ballot if procedural requirements are met. However, Missouri's constitution exempts legislative redistricting from referendum, and it is unclear if this applies to congressional districts, making the process subject to ongoing legal interpretation and challenges.
The opposition includes the group People Not Politicians, which is leading efforts by submitting over 300,000 signatures to force a referendum. They have raised about $5 million, mainly from out-of-state organizations, to support their campaign against the Trump-backed redistricting map.
There are pending federal and state court challenges regarding the congressional redistricting that focus on issues such as the validity of a referendum on congressional districts, mid-decade redrawing legality, and criteria like compactness and contiguity of districts, with Cole County circuit court having jurisdiction for state challenges and appeals directed to the Missouri Supreme Court.
The submitted 300,000+ signatures aim to force a public vote on the redistricting plan in the November election, challenging the legitimacy of the new congressional map and its alleged gerrymandering. The signatures demonstrate substantial public mobilization and serve as a critical procedural step toward placing the referendum on the ballot, pending verification.
The Missouri Secretary of State's office receives the petition signatures submitted by opponents and oversees their formal verification. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is responsible for confirming the validity and sufficiency of the signatures, which determines whether the redistricting referendum qualifies for the ballot.
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