‘Undistilled cheating’: Missouri voters furious in aftermath of Trump bid to rig electoral maps

Missouri Republicans' attempt to redraw congressional districts for Donald Trump's benefit has collapsed in court, leaving voters angry and uncertain about where they live politically as the midterms approach. The August primary used the new lines, but the general election reverts to the 2022 and 2024 map, so hundreds of thousands of residents will vote in a different district than before. Eric Leventhal, a 35-year-old stay-at-home father who backed Democrat Fred Wellman in the primary, no longer knows his district, according to The Guardian.

Governor Mike Kehoe signed the new map in September 2025, dismantling the Kansas City district of Representative Emanuel Cleaver and moving Republicans from six of eight seats to seven. A group called People not Politicians collected over 300,000 signatures to force a public vote on repealing it. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins declined to certify the measure on 4 August, arguing redistricting was off limits. Richard von Glahn, the group's executive director, sued; on 3 September the Missouri supreme court unanimously ordered the vote and barred the map for 2026. Republican appeals to the US supreme court failed through 25 September.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →