Omar Bennett
Missouri elects eight members to the United States House of Representatives, divided into eight congressional districts. Missouri's legislature is primarily responsible for drawing federal congressional districts, as in most states. However, in the 2000 and 2010 redistricting cycles, Missouri's legislature failed to agree on a state legislative plan, so the districts were drawn by a court-appointed committee of appellate judges. In 2020, the Missouri Supreme Court convened a Judicial Redistricting Commission to take over the process when the Senate bipartisan citizens commission failed to submit a redistricting plan by its constitutional deadline.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of senators | 2 |
| Number of representatives | 8 |
| Number of congressional districts | 8 |
| Population requirements | Districts must be no more than 1% from the average population, except that deviations of up to 3% are permitted if necessary to follow political boundaries. |
| Legislative body | Missouri General Assembly |
| Legislative body composition | House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Legislative body responsibility | Creating laws for governing the State of Missouri |
| Legislative committees | Draft initial redistricting plans |
| Backup committees | Six state appellate judges |
| Advisory committees | Iowa, Maine, Utah, and Vermont appoint advisory commissions to advise the legislature about where the district lines should be drawn |
| Backup procedures | Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas have special backup procedures to draw state district lines if the legislature does not successfully pass a plan |
| Politician commissions | Arkansas, Hawaii, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia use politician commissions for drawing state legislative districts |
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What You'll Learn
Missouri's federal congressional districts
Missouri elects eight members to the United States House of Representatives, with each representative serving a two-year term. The State of Missouri is currently divided into eight congressional districts, with each one being represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Missouri's congressional districts have been the subject of legal challenges and redistricting efforts in recent years. In 2010, the legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of HB193, enacting a congressional map that was challenged in court. In 2011, opponents of the newly approved congressional district map filed suit, alleging "partisan gerrymandering and deviations from state constitutional compactness requirements." While the Missouri Supreme Court initially dismissed the case, it later ordered the trial court to reconsider and agreed with the dismissal of partisan gerrymandering claims.
Missouri, like all states, must comply with constitutional equal population requirements when drawing congressional district lines. Missouri state law requires that congressional districts be "as nearly equal in population as may be" and that state legislative districts be "drawn on the basis of one person, one vote." Districts must be within 1% of the average population, with deviations of up to 3% permitted to follow political boundaries.
The process of redistricting in Missouri typically involves "politician commissions," where elected officials or their nominees serve as members. In the event of a deadlock or failure to approve a plan, backup procedures may be triggered, such as the involvement of a court-appointed committee of appellate judges or a Judicial Redistricting Commission convened by the Missouri Supreme Court.
The United States Supreme Court has also played a role in Missouri's redistricting process, ruling on cases related to the consideration of race, total population tallies, and the constitutionality of independent redistricting commissions. These rulings have had an impact on redistricting processes across the nation, including in Missouri.
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Redistricting requirements
Missouri must comply with constitutional equal population requirements. Missouri state law requires that congressional districts be "as nearly equal in population as may be", and that state legislative districts be "as nearly equal as practicable in population, and shall be drawn on the basis of one person, one vote". Districts must be no more than 1% from the average population, except that deviations of up to 3% are permitted if necessary to follow political boundaries. Missouri must also abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.
In Missouri, the legislature is primarily in charge of redistricting. Missouri draws state legislative districts with so-called "politician commissions", where elected officials may serve as members. The legislative or party leadership nominates at least some commissioners, usually with a balanced number from each party. In the 2020 cycle, the Senate bipartisan citizens commission failed to submit a redistricting plan by its constitutional deadline. The Missouri Supreme Court convened a Judicial Redistricting Commission to take over the process.
In the 2000 redistricting cycle, Missouri's legislature enacted a congressional plan that was signed on June 1, 2001. Because neither commission could agree on a state legislative plan, the state legislative districts were drawn by a court-appointed committee of appellate judges. In the 2010 cycle, the legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of HB193, enacting a congressional map into law on May 4, 2011. The original state Senate plan was challenged in court and struck down, and a different politician commission convened to draw a new state Senate plan on March 12, 2012.
In the case Harper v. Hall (2022), a group of Democratic Party-affiliated voters and nonprofit organizations challenged the map in state court, alleging that the new map was a partisan gerrymander that violated the state constitution. The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state could not use the map in the 2022 elections. The trial court adopted a new congressional map drawn by three court-appointed experts. The United States Supreme Court affirmed the North Carolina Supreme Court's original decision in Moore v. Harper that the state's congressional district map violated state law.
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Gerrymandering and compactness
Missouri's legislature is responsible for drawing up the state's congressional districts. In the 2000 redistricting cycle, Missouri's legislature enacted a congressional plan (HB 1000) that was signed on June 1, 2001. However, because neither commission could agree on a state legislative plan, the state legislative districts were drawn by a court-appointed committee of appellate judges.
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to favour one political party or group over another. It can result in the marginalisation of certain communities and the dilution of their voting power. To prevent gerrymandering, many state constitutions require legislative districts to be "compact". The idea is that compact districts are more likely to keep together communities with shared interests and needs.
Compactness can be measured as the ratio of the circumference of a district to its total area, with higher ratios indicating less compactness. Compact districts tend to resemble geometric shapes like squares and have straight borders. However, it's important to note that compactness is not just about the shape of a district but also the shared culture and interests of its residents.
While compactness is a crucial factor in preventing gerrymandering, it is not the sole indicator. Visual inspection of district shapes can be helpful, but it is incomplete without considering other factors such as geography, racial demographics, and political affiliation. States have different laws regulating compactness, with some requiring districts to have familiar shapes and avoid bypassing nearby populated areas.
Mathematicians and political scientists continue to debate the best measures of compactness. While there is no number threshold for a district to be deemed "compact", it is generally agreed that compactness measures should be applied across an entire districting plan rather than a single district. Additionally, compactness should not be the only factor in evaluating district plans, as other considerations may justify less compact districts, such as uniting communities with shared representational needs.
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Court involvement
Missouri elects eight representatives to the United States House of Representatives, divided across eight congressional districts. The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of Missouri and is responsible for creating laws for governing the state.
In the 2000 redistricting cycle, Missouri's legislature enacted a congressional plan (HB 1000) that was signed on June 1, 2001. However, neither commission could agree on a state legislative plan, so the state legislative districts were drawn by a court-appointed committee of appellate judges, with plans issued on November 30, 2001.
In the 2010 cycle, the legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of HB193, enacting a congressional map into law on May 4, 2011. The original state Senate plan was challenged in court and struck down, and a revised plan was issued on December 9, 2011. The backup body that passed this revised plan was declared without authority, so a politician commission was convened to draw a new state Senate plan on March 12, 2012.
In the 2020 cycle, the Senate bipartisan citizens commission failed to submit a redistricting plan by its constitutional deadline. As a result, the Missouri Supreme Court convened a Judicial Redistricting Commission to take over the process, as per the Missouri Constitution.
Missouri must comply with constitutional equal population requirements, with congressional districts required to be "as nearly equal in population as may be". Districts must be no more than 1% from the average population, except that deviations of up to 3% are allowed to follow political boundaries. Missouri must also abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.
In Missouri, state legislative districts are drawn by "politician commissions", where elected officials may serve as members. In the case of a deadlock, backup bodies of state appellate judges may be convened to issue plans.
Missouri's redistricting process has also been challenged in court on several occasions. On September 23, 2011, opponents of the newly approved congressional district map filed suit in the Missouri 19th Judicial Circuit Court, alleging "partisan gerrymandering and deviations from state constitutional compactness requirements." The case was initially dismissed, but the Missouri Supreme Court ordered the trial court to reconsider. The trial court rejected the plaintiff's compactness claims, which was affirmed by the Missouri Supreme Court on May 25, 2012.
In Harper v. Hall (2022), a group of Democratic Party-affiliated voters and nonprofit organizations challenged the map in state court, alleging that it violated the state constitution. The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state could not use the map in the 2022 elections, and the United States Supreme Court affirmed this decision, stating that the "Elections Clause does not vest exclusive and independent authority in state legislatures to set the rules regarding federal elections."
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Role of commissions
Missouri elects eight representatives to the United States House of Representatives, divided across eight congressional districts. The state must comply with constitutional equal population requirements, requiring congressional districts to be "as nearly equal in population as may be".
In Missouri, politician commissions are used to draw state legislative districts. These commissions are composed of elected officials, with legislative or party leadership nominating at least some commissioners, with balanced numbers from each party. In the 2010 cycle, both politician commissions deadlocked, leading to a backup body of six state appellate judges issuing state Senate and House plans. In the 2020 cycle, the Senate bipartisan citizens commission failed to submit a redistricting plan, so the Missouri Supreme Court convened a Judicial Redistricting Commission to take over.
In some states, advisory commissions influence redistricting maps before they go to the legislature, while backup commissions have their influence afterward. Missouri does not appear to be one of these states, as it is listed among those that use politician commissions. However, it is worth noting that Missouri's commissions have been referred to as "advisory" in some sources. These commissions advise the legislature on where district lines should be drawn and recommend district plans, but the legislature has the final say.
In eight states, there are special backup procedures to draw state district lines if the legislature does not pass a plan. Missouri is not one of these states, but it has employed backup procedures in the past when its commissions deadlocked. The specific trigger for these backup procedures is usually a deadline set in the state constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
Missouri draws its federal congressional districts with \"politician commissions\", where elected officials may serve as members.
Missouri is currently divided into eight congressional districts, with each one being represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Missouri must comply with constitutional equal population requirements. Districts must be \"as nearly equal in population as may be\" and must abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.
The legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of HB193, enacting a congressional map into law on May 4, 2011. The process then fell to a backup body of six state appellate judges, which issued state Senate and state House plans.
Yes, there have been several legal challenges to Missouri's congressional district maps. For example, in 2011, opponents of the newly approved map filed suit, alleging \"partisan gerrymandering and deviations from state constitutional compactness requirements.\" More recently, in 2022, a group of Democratic Party-affiliated voters and nonprofit organizations challenged the map, arguing that it violated the state constitution.
