Missouri redistricting referendum blocked by secretary of state, drawing lawsuit
Denny Hoskins argues the Missouri Constitution does not allow a referendum on a congressional redistricting plan while refusing to say whether enough signatures had been collected to place the congressional map on the ballot

By Rudi Keller
August 4, 2026 6:08 pm

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins blocked a public vote on the state’s new congressional map Tuesday, declaring a referendum petition unconstitutional a few hours before polls closed in the primary election.

He refused to tell reporters at a Jefferson City press conference whether the petition had enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. It didn’t matter, he said, because the Missouri Constitution does not allow a referendum on redistricting.

“Whether they had one signature or 500 million signatures doesn’t really matter because they are unconstitutional,” Hoskins said at a news conference.

The political action committee People Not Politicians turned in more than 300,000 signatures in December, and local election authorities spent hundreds of hours verifying whether the people who signed were registered voters.

[….]

“According to Missouri state law, I had until today at 5 p.m. to certify those signatures,” Hoskins said. “As a certified public accountant, I want to make sure all my ‘i’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.”

[…..]

“…Noun, verb, CPA…”

Detail oriented, eh?

From the Missouri Democratic Party:

Missouri Democratic Party Statement on Secretary Hoskins’ Continued Failure to Do His Job
August 4, 2026

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Russ Carnahan has issued the following statement following Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ last minute refusal to certify the petitions by Respect Missouri Voters and People Not Politicians that a historic, record-breaking number of Missourians, of all political beliefs, signed and submitted:

‘At the end of the day, Hoskins’ desperate attempt to avoid the will of Missourians is not surprising, unexpected, or even creative. This is a craven power grab by a Republican politician in Jefferson City who is afraid of what will happen if Missourians will be allowed to vote. Let’s be clear, Missourians of every political leaning — Democrat, Republican, and independent — signed these petitions. It is not everyday Missourians that are opposed to their own right to vote, it is the Republican politicians in Jefferson City,’ said Chair Russ Carnahan. ‘We support the right of all Missourians to vote and ultimately expect, after a brief court battle, that they will get that opportunity.’

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Previously:

HB 1: Gerrymander this (September 9, 2025)

Can play with AI, can’t be bothered to certify petition signatures (June 7, 2026)