Missouri court assigns blame for election chaos to secretary of state over redistricting referendum

Missouri’s Supreme Court faulted Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for delaying certification of a citizen referendum on congressional maps, ruling the 2022 redistricting plan never took effect and that any chaos related to the August primary is Hoskins’ responsibility. The decision ends a year-long battle over redistricting, reinforces voters’ direct-democracy rights, and shifts accountability away from the court while leaving related lawsuits to the courts.