Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins says the state’s new congressional map will take effect, despite a referendum effort to repeal it. People Not Politicians, a grassroots coalition pushing for fairer redistricting in Missouri, turned in more than 300,000 signatures Tuesday to put the repeal of House Bill 1 on the 2026 ballot. But Hoskins said the law won’t be paused unless, and until, those signatures are verified. Opponents of the bill, which redraws Missouri’s U.S. House districts, say it benefits one party.
Richard von Glahn, executive director with People Not Politicians Missouri, said volunteers powered the signature drive.
"This work has been done by over 2,000 Missourians, who volunteered their time to get trained on how to gather signatures and to go out and talk to Missourians from all across the state," he said.
Supporters of House Bill 1 argue the map simply updates Missouri’s congressional districts to reflect population changes, creating more compact boundaries and maintaining what they see as balanced representation across the state.
Elizabeth Franklin, a rural Missouri resident, said she drove more than 1,500 miles across 25 counties to help collect signatures.
"Folks were interested to hear about this constitutionally allowed referendum," she explained. "And for those that were unaware, I found most were really interested in supporting their right to vote on these new maps."
The standoff between Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and the repeal campaign is now at the center of one of Missouri’s biggest election-law disputes.
This story was originally published by Missouri News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
