Is Missouri's gerrymandered map even usable? + Vice President JD Vance visits KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Secretary of State called it the 'Missouri First map' and said it's in effect.
- County clerks say the Secretary of State communicated poorly and gave minimal data.
- The statewide voter database hasn't been updated, blocking voter reassignment.
Hello, Star readers.
We’re breaking down the disconnect between state and local election officials in Missouri over whether the new gerrymandered congressional map is ready for prime time.
Next, we’ll get into:
• VP in KC: Vice President JD Vance delivered remarks at a Kansas City manufacturing facility on Monday. Here’s what he had to say about Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Missouri’s new map.
• ‘Born alive’: The Missouri General Assembly sent an anti-abortion bill to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk. Here’s why even key abortion opponents say it’s likely to be struck down by the courts.
This week in politics
Despite Missouri’s Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins repeatedly insisting that the redrawn congressional map is ready to be used in the August primary, local election officials of both parties say it can’t be implemented yet.
“The Missouri First map is in effect. Our local election authorities and county clerks need to take those steps in the process, process, and procedures in order to institute the new Missouri First map,” Hoskins said on Friday, using a name coined by supporters of the map.
Election officials across Missouri who spoke to The Star offer a different picture of what they can do with the information provided by Hoskins’ office.
“The Secretary of State has communicated poorly with the county clerks. The information we have received is minimal and contradictory,” said Vernon County Clerk Adrienne Lee, a Republican.
Clerks said the Secretary of State’s office has yet to update the underlying statewide voter database to reflect the new map — an essential step that must be taken before local election officials can manually reassign voters to new districts.
“We’ve gone through the process in an Excel spreadsheet of figuring out all the different changes that need to happen. That is the extent of what we can do until the Secretary of State’s office takes action,” said Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon, a Democrat.
Read the full story about what the confusion means for the rapidly approaching primary election.
More from this past week
• A Kansas judge has issued an injunction blocking enforcement of a 2025 state law that prohibits transgender teens from accessing gender-affirming treatment within state borders.
• A Kansas City Council member drew heat from his colleagues after he used their constituent email distribution list to welcome JD Vance to town and blast Republican talking points.
• Missouri’s redrawn map places residents in Kansas City’s Columbus Park neighborhood in a different congressional district than their neighbors across the state. Here’s what they think of it.
Looking for more?
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That’s all for now! See you next week.
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