Missouri voting advocates sue after redistricting referendum rejected

Voting advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday, asking a state court to quickly put a redistricting referendum on the November ballot as Missouri Republicans inch closer to thwarting voters’ efforts to block gerrymandered new voting maps.

Missouri voters have fought for nearly a year to put the gerrymander to a statewide referendum vote in November. But Republicans have thrown roadblocks in their path at every turn, even as the battle enters its final weeks. 

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, an elected Republican, on Tuesday rejected the referendum petition after delaying his decision for months until the final deadline — part of the GOP’s strategy of running out the clock on opponents’ efforts to stop the map. Hoskins declared the referendum unconstitutional, saying voters do not have the authority to challenge the legislature’s redistricting plans.

People Not Politicians, the group leading the referendum effort, filed a lawsuit hours later challenging Hoskins’ decision. The pro-voting advocates said it’s not too late for Missouri courts to order state officials to place the referendum on the ballot. State law requires the legal challenge to be fast-tracked to the Missouri Supreme Court before the Sept. 8 deadline to make changes to the November ballot, advocates argued.

Richard von Glahn, the executive director of People Not Politicians, told reporters Wednesday that Hoskins’ decision was part of a “pattern of his obstruction” and an “attempt to thwart the will of the people.” 

Von Glahn said Missouri courts now have to tackle a fundamental question.

“Can the Secretary of State and Attorney General single-handedly subvert the power of the referendum clause that has been in the Missouri Constitution for over a century through deliberate delay and obstruction?” Von Glahn said. “The answer to this must clearly be no.”

Von Glahn insisted the referendum effort will prevail over Hoskins and his allies. 

“Ultimately, our referendum is going to be certified,” von Glahn said. “And when it is, it will be placed on the November ballot as Proposition A.”

Missouri voters turned in more than 300,000 signatures in December — more than three times the required number of signatures. By March, the referendum cleared a major hurdle when local election officials verified enough signatures for the measure to qualify for the ballot. However, Hoskins made it clear that he would delay his official certification decision until the last possible moment.

Missouri Democrats blasted Hoskins Tuesday for his attempt to kill the referendum.

“Enough is enough,” Missouri State Rep. Eric Woods (D) said in a social media post. “It is not the Secretary of State’s job to determine if laws are constitutional. It is his job to validate signatures. If Hoskins doesn’t want to do his job, he should resign. If he continues to refuse to do his job, he should be impeached.”