Welcome to the Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Missouri's congressional map remains unsettled after courts issue conflicting orders
- Wyoming voters to decide on a citizen initiative for the first time since 1996
- 54 days to make a difference for millions of voters across the country
Missouri's congressional map remains unsettled after courts issue conflicting orders
Due to ongoing legal challenges, it is uncertain whether Missouri’s 2026 congressional elections will be held under the new districts adopted by the state legislature in 2025 or under the districts adopted by the legislature in 2022. Missouri voters nominated candidates under the 2025 map in the state’s Aug. 4 primary.
Under the 2022 map, Missouri’s U.S. House delegation includes two Democrats and six Republicans. Based on the 2024 presidential election results in the state, the 2025 map would likely result in one Democrat and seven Republicans being elected.
As of Sept. 9, state and federal courts have issued conflicting orders in two separate lawsuits, one of which is pending appeal.
The first lawsuit challenged Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ (R) Aug. 4 decision to block the Missouri Congressional Map Referendum from the Nov. 3 ballot. The referendum, if passed, would uphold the new lines enacted by the legislature in September 2025 and used for the 2026 primary. If defeated, the map would be overturned.
Hoskins said that the Missouri Constitution did not allow for a referendum on redistricting. In response, the group People Not Politicians filed a challenge. On Aug. 19, Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled that Hoskins’ decision was lawful and that the referendum provision in the state constitution did not apply to congressional redistricting. People Not Politicians executive director Richard von Glahn filed an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court on Aug. 19.
On Sept. 3, the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the referendum could go ahead and that the Missouri Constitution did not prohibit a redistricting referendum. Judge Ginger Gooch wrote:
“Because the plain language of article III, section 49 of the Missouri Constitution authorizes a referendum as to ‘any act of the general assembly’ and no exception applies, the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely. … Because the referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, HB 1 never took effect and was referred to the voters as of December 9, 2025. The congressional districts the General Assembly established in 2022 remain in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election, and HB 1 will not take effect unless and until approved by the voters at the November 2026 general election.”
On Sept. 4, Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway (R) filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who oversees interim docket appeals for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, declined the request on Sept. 8.
Also on Sept. 4, U.S. Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) and state Sen. Rick Brattin (R), a U.S. House candidate, filed a separate lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri challenging the state supreme court’s decision. On Sept. 8, not long after Kavanaugh denied the appeal of the state supreme court’s ruling returning the state to the 2022 maps, Chief Judge Stephen Clark issued a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the state from using any map besides the 2025 maps for the general election. Clark wrote:
“Issuing a TRO here would preserve, rather than disturb, the election rules that candidates, election officials, and voters have relied on. If anything, the public interest concerns that the Purcell principle invokes—avoiding voter confusion, disincentivizing voting, and preserving the fair and orderly operation of elections—support issuing a TRO. Missouri already held its primaries using the HB 1 [2025] map. … Using a different map for the general election would wreak havoc on the fairness and orderliness of Missouri’s congressional elections, calling into question the candidacy of those nominated in the primaries and the votes of those who voted in the primaries. Widespread voter confusion would inevitably follow. The public interest factor thus weighs in favor of a TRO.”
Hoskins sent local election officials a copy of Clark's order and the official certification of the Nov. 3 ballot. In response, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered Hoskins to appear before them on Sept. 10 to explain his actions in a contempt hearing.
People Not Politicians appealed Clark’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on Sept. 8 and filed a motion asking the Missouri Supreme Court to “make clear that regardless of other orders (except from the United States Supreme Court) the Missouri Secretary of State must comply with this court’s injunction. … The court should instruct all local election authorities that (the 2025 map) is not the law and has never been the law.”
Missouri is one of seven states to have voluntarily redistricted ahead of the 2026 elections. To follow updates to Missouri’s redistricting process, click here.
Wyoming voters to decide on a citizen initiative for the first time since 1996
Welcome to our next installment of our 50 States in 50 Days series, covering Wyoming. To view our archive of past editions, click here.
This year marks the first time that Wyoming voters will decide on a citizen initiative since 1996, when voters defeated Initiative 1 54.1% to 45.9%.
From 2000 through 2024, Wyoming voters decided on 23 legislatively referred statewide ballot measures — approving 14 and defeating nine. Here's a closer look at the measure voters will decide on this year.
Initiative 1 would create a homeowner's property tax exemption that exempts 50% of a primary residence's assessed value from property taxation.
We'll also be adding information about local measures in Wyoming as they are certified ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Want to see what's on your ballot this November? Click here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup Tool. Now let's take a closer look at what's happening in Wyoming.
Voters must register via mail by Oct. 19 or in person through Nov. 3.
Early voting opens Oct. 6 and ends Nov. 2.
Polls open on Election Day at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.
Voter ID is required. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license or ID card, a tribal ID card, a student ID, or a concealed firearm permit. Click here for a full list of accepted IDs.
Absentee/mail-in ballots must be requested by Nov. 2 and returned by Nov. 3.
Under a 2025 law, voters must provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Acceptable forms of proof of citizenship include a Wyoming driver's license or ID card, provided it does not indicate a person is not a U.S. citizen, a REAL ID-compliant ID issued in any other state, a passport, or a certificate of naturalization. Click here for a full list of acceptable documents.
Current party control
A Republican represents Wyoming's At-Large Congressional District. Both of the state's U.S. Senators are Republicans.
Republicans have a 29-2 majority in the Wyoming Senate and a 56-6 majority in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Because the governor is a Republican, Wyoming is one of 23 states with a Republican trifecta. Wyoming's attorney general and secretary of state are also Republicans. As a result, Wyoming is one of 24 states with a Republican triplex. Republican governors appointed all five members of the Wyoming Supreme Court.
Offices on the ballot
Elections are taking place for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.
There will also be elections for governor, secretary of state, auditor, superintendent of public instruction, and treasurer. Seventeen seats in the state Senate and all 62 in the state House are up for election.
Two state supreme court justices are up for retention elections.
Wyoming is one of 32 states where we are providing comprehensive election coverage down to the local level this November.
Notable election
Wyoming Supreme Court: Incumbents Robert Jarosh and Bridget Hill are up for retention elections. According to Bolts' Daniel Nichanian, this year's elections are taking place after the Court struck down the state's abortion ban in a 4-1 decision on Jan. 6. Jarosh voted with the majority. Before Hill joined the court in 2025, she was the state attorney general and defended the ban against the lawsuit. She did not participate in the decision.
Tomorrow, we'll preview elections in Arizona, the Grand Canyon State.
Click here to see every edition of 50 States in 50 Days as we publish them, and here to use our Sample Ballot Lookup Tool.
54 days to make a difference for millions of voters across the country
With 54 days until Election Day, Ballotpedia's research team is racing to publish robust information for every local candidate we can reach: who's endorsed them, what they've pledged to do in office, and where they stand on the issues. Most of these races get almost no coverage anywhere else.
We'll be researching tens of thousands of candidates in the coming weeks. Your support is crucial to making it happen. Your tax-deductible contribution will not only help support that research, it will also help millions of voters get the information they need to cast ballots that reflect their values.
And with your gift of $13 a month, or a one-time gift of $150 or more, we will be pleased to offer you special, ad-free access to every one of the more than 700,000 articles on our site. Click here to make a donation today!