After months of legal battles over Missouri's congressional maps, election officials are working to make sure voters know which district they're in before the midterms on Nov. 3.
The state used new congressional boundaries during the August primary, but a Missouri Supreme Court ruling last month restored the maps used in 2022 and 2024 for the general election.
Brianna Lennon, clerk of Boone County, said about 40% of voters in her county switched districts between August and November, which created confusion.
"There have been some issues where people are getting candidate mail or seeing campaign advertisements and they're not sure which one they're supposed to be in. We've provided information on our website. Whichever way we were going to have to go with the maps, they would know where they were going to be voting," Lennon explained.
Missouri has eight congressional districts. Voters can check their registration information and find their polling places through the Missouri Secretary of State's website at SOS.MO.gov. Anyone uncertain about their congressional district can contact their local election authority.
Missouri voters will decide on Proposition A in November. A "yes" vote would approve the state's newer congressional map, while a "no" vote would keep the boundaries established in 2022.
Lennon added that local election officials have been working together to make sure voters have accurate information and confidence in the election process.
"We've been playing catch-up. I think that we're there now," Lennon underscored. "From here on out, because there's nothing going to be changing with the maps, I think it'll be a relatively smooth process, and it'll be all about voter education."
Lennon noted preparations are now running more smoothly, but getting to this point was challenging. The uncertainty over the congressional maps delayed ballot printing and voting machine testing by several weeks, with election workers concerned they might have to start over if the boundaries changed again.
Missouri News Service originally published this story.
