Missouri Sec. of State Proposes ‘Dishonest’ Ballot Language to Thwart Anti-Gerrymander Referendum

By Jen Rice

Protestors gather in the rotunda to protest a redistricting plan that would split Kansas City into three districts on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the Missouri State Capitol, in Jefferson City, Mo. (Yong Li Xuan/Missourian via AP)

More than 200,000 Missourians have signed a petition supporting a referendum to block Republicans’ new gerrymandered congressional map. But GOP officials are working to thwart them at every turn.

In the latest Republican scheme to stymie the ballot measure, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) has submitted deeply biased proposed ballot language, which, if approved, would tell voters the gerrymander “better reflects statewide voting patterns.”

Hoskins’ proposed ballot language, confirmed to Democracy Docket by Richard von Glahn, the leader of the effort to get the measure on the ballot, reads: 

“Do the people of the state of Missouri approve the act of the General Assembly entitled ‘House Bill No. 1 (2025 Second Extraordinary Session),’ which repeals Missouri’s existing gerrymandered congressional plan that protects incumbent politicians, and replaces it with new congressional boundaries that keep more cities and counties intact, are more compact, and better reflects statewide voting patterns?”

It’s possible Attorney General Catherine Hanaway (R) won’t approve the language.

“But if she does, then I expect we will be in litigation on this point,” von Glahn said.

“Should you have to budget for litigation about the secretary of state being dishonest? No,” he added. “Did we budget for this? Yes.”

Von Glahn’s group, People Not Politicians, are aiming to stop Missouri from using a gerrymandered map that could eliminate one Democratic congressional district – drawn at the request of President Donald Trump – in the 2026 election. To get the referendum on a statewide ballot, they have so far collected more than 200,000 signatures – far beyond the roughly 107,000 signatures required, according to the group. 

If People Not Politicians challenges the proposed ballot language, Hoskins could be required to revise it. The court could take over the task of writing the language if Hoskins fails to provide an acceptable alternative after three tries. 

Ballot language is only the latest roadblock Republicans are tossing in organizers’ paths. They have tried to reject the petition for being filed too soon, challenged the validity of some of the signatures, and sued to stop the petition from moving forward.

Writing biased ballot language has in recent years become a favored tactic of state officials looking to hamstring popular direct-democracy ballot measures they oppose, including in Missouri.