US SUPREME COURT BLOCKS MISSOURI REPUBLICAN VOTING MAP

Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected Missouri's request to reinstate a Republican-backed congressional map for November's midterm elections on Tuesday. Kavanaugh, who handles emergency matters from Missouri, declined the state's bid without referring the case to the full nine-member court or explaining his reasoning. The decision leaves in place an older congressional map for the November midterms, which will determine control of a closely divided Congress.

Hours after Kavanaugh's ruling, however, US District Judge Stephen Clark issued a temporary restraining order requiring Missouri to use the new Republican-backed map instead. Clark, a Trump appointee, wrote that using different maps for primary and general elections would "wreak havoc on the fairness and orderliness of Missouri's congressional elections" and cause "widespread voter confusion". His order remains in effect for 14 days whilst courts consider the dispute, and opponents have already filed an appeal to the Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals. The conflicting rulings emerged after Missouri's state supreme court ruled the new map must go before voters for approval, preventing its use in November's election.

The redistricting effort was backed by President Donald Trump and Republican Party officials seeking to improve their electoral prospects in Missouri. The new map would have broken up the state's 5th congressional district, currently held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver, and given Republicans a better chance of winning an additional House seat. Trump has characterised the state supreme court's decision as "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional", whilst Missouri's attorney general argued the state faced a "full-fledged constitutional crisis".