Missouri Voters Gather 300,000 Signatures to Oppose Republican Redistricting Plan

A group of Missouri voters has filed a petition with more than 300,000 signatures calling for a referendum that they hope will block a redistricting plan favorable to Republicans.

The group, known as People Not Politicians Missouri, filed the petition with the Secretary of State’s office on Dec. 9. Under state law, about 110,000 signatures are required to force a vote on the redistricting plan, which was enacted by the Legislature through a bill, H.B. 1, and signed into law on Sept. 28.

The new district plan, backed by President Donald Trump, would give Republican candidates an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections for House seats. Currently, of the state’s eight U.S. representatives, two are Democrats—Rep. Wesley Bell from the First District, covering St. Louis, and Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver from the Fifth District, covering Kansas City, with the changes most affecting Cleaver’s seat.

“Politicians passed an illegal gerrymandering scheme that is nothing more than an unconstitutional power grab,” People Not Politicians Missouri states on its website. “We believe that Missouri voters—not politicians—should have the final say. We have filed a citizen’s referendum to gather signatures to put this unjust map before voters on an upcoming ballot.”

Republicans in the state have said the bill enables more conservative legislators to be elected, which they said is more reflective of the state’s values.

“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the congressional representation of states like New York, California, and Illinois. We believe this map best represents Missourians,” Gov. Mike Kehoe wrote in a statement accompanying the signing of the bill.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has said that he cannot verify about 100,000 of the signatures the advocates have gathered.

Additionally, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit alleging that the bill cannot be subject to a referendum. That suit was dismissed by a federal judge.

Advanced Micro Targeting Inc., an organization hired by the advocates, has raised approximately $5 million to fund its efforts. The group filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri alleging that organizations aligned with Republican interests are paying signature gatherers up to $30,000 for them to quit, according to a copy of the amended complaint filed by the organization and viewed by The Epoch Times.

“AMT, perhaps the most unethical business in our industry, has filed a bogus lawsuit to hide their own issues,” David Leibowitz, a representative for Let The Voters Decide, said in an email to The Epoch Times. “We will defend our company aggressively against AMT’s absurd claims.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.