For the third time, the Supreme Court blocks Missouri's GOP-drawn map. The 2022 districts stand for November, and voting has begun.

For the third time, the U.S. Supreme Court has stopped Missouri Republicans from using a new congressional map in the midterms, NBC News reports. On Friday, Sept. 25, with no dissents, the justices blocked an appeals court ruling that sought to revive the 2025 map. The election will proceed using the 2022 map, which includes six seats held by Republicans and two held by Democrats. The proposed 2025 map would have eliminated one of the Democratic seats, held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos," the ruling said. The state has already started sending ballots to military and overseas voters, and some absentee voting began Tuesday, Sept. 22. The fight began when opponents gathered enough signatures to force a referendum on the new map, which under state law suspends it until the vote. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican, delayed deciding whether the referendum push was legitimate until the eve of the primary, then rejected it and ordered the new map used. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled the 2022 districts must be used and later held Hoskins in contempt. A new federal lawsuit from Rep. Bob Onder, Republican nominee Rick Brattin and two voters then won rulings for the 2025 map from a federal judge and the 8th Circuit, in part because the primary had already been held under it. The Supreme Court wrote that Hoskins "was well aware that conducting the August primary election with the 2025 map carried significant risks." The map was part of a nationwide Republican push, at President Donald Trump's urging, and Democrats in states including California drew new maps too. Why it matters at home: if you vote in Missouri, your November ballot uses the 2022 districts, which may not match your August ballot. Look up your district and candidates before you vote.