U.S. Supreme Court blocks attempt to reorganize Republican constituencies in Missouri

“Changing constituencies since the election has already started will cause confusion.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kang Hoon-sang = CNN reported on the 25th (local time) that the U.S. Supreme Court put a stop to an attempt to reorganize Missouri's U.S. House of Representatives districts to favor the Republican Party. This is the third similar decision by the Federal Supreme Court this month.

The Supreme Court said in its decision that day, "Ballots according to the 2022 electoral districts have been printed and sent, and absentee voting and voting for military personnel and overseas nationals have already begun. If the election is ordered to be returned to the 2025 electoral districts while the election is in progress, the election will be confused."

He then referred to the 'Purcell Principle', which states that courts at all levels must be very careful in changing voting rules and districts when an election is imminent or has already begun, and emphasized, "Federal district courts and appellate courts should not order or require Missouri to use the 2025 district map in this federal House election."

Accordingly, the Republican Party's attempt to change the structure of Missouri's Federal House of Representatives, which currently has 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats, to 7 to 1, was virtually defeated.

The issue of Missouri's electoral district realignment arose last year when U.S. President Donald Trump called for the district to be redrawn in favor of the Republican Party.

The Republican-dominated Missouri Legislature drew new congressional districts at President Trump's order. Kansas City's 5th Congressional District, which is dominated by the Democratic Party, was divided and mixed with the Republican-dominated district.

Civic groups argued for a referendum, raising concerns about gerrymandering (drawing electoral districts in favor of a specific political party), but the state government immediately applied new electoral districts to the primary election, which led to a complicated legal battle.

The Missouri court's first trial ruled in favor of the state government, but the state Supreme Court ruled on the 3rd that the demarcation of new electoral districts (2025 map) must be submitted to a referendum. The Federal Supreme Court ruled in favor of the civic group on the 8th, rejecting the application to suspend the Missouri Supreme Court's ruling.

Separately, Federal District Court Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary restraining order on the use of 2022 electoral districts and supported the 2025 electoral district map, but the Federal Supreme Court on the 10th accepted the application for a stay of execution in this regard.

Although the Federal Supreme Court blocked the reorganization of electoral districts twice, the Federal Appeals Court accepted the Republican candidate's argument that the same standard should be applied to the main election because the primary election was held using the 2025 district map. Accordingly, a civic group filed an emergency application to the Federal Supreme Court on the 22nd to block this, and the decision was made that day.

Regarding the Supreme Court's third decision that day, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said he was disappointed but would follow the Supreme Court's decision that day.

The civic group 'Non-Politicians', which filed an emergency appeal to the Federal Supreme Court, welcomed the decision, saying, "The attempts by corrupt politicians to force their own district maps outside the procedures stipulated in the Missouri Constitution are over."