A legal dispute over Missouri’s new congressional district map has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, adding uncertainty to the state’s preparations for the November midterm elections. The challenge comes from People Not Politicians, an anti-gerrymandering group seeking to block the use of a GOP-favored map adopted by the state legislature, which Republicans control.

The group filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court late Wednesday after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit declined to block the map’s use, citing jurisdictional concerns and ruling that the plaintiffs had not met the necessary legal standards for an injunction. The legal back-and-forth has left election officials and voters in Missouri uncertain about which congressional boundaries will apply less than two months before Election Day on November 3.

The dispute intensified after a tumultuous series of court rulings on Tuesday. Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh denied Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins’ request to overturn a recent Missouri Supreme Court order that blocked the new congressional map. The state high court had instructed the use of a 2022 map, seen as more favorable to Democrats, for the upcoming elections. Shortly thereafter, a federal judge in Missouri, Stephen Clark, issued a conflicting order requiring use of the new GOP-friendly map.

Following the federal judge’s ruling, Hoskins and Republican leaders expressed their intent to implement the new map despite the state Supreme Court’s directive. People Not Politicians immediately appealed the federal ruling, warning that election officials could be placed in contempt of court no matter which map they use, leaving ballots and voter districts in flux.

The new map, created under legislation known as HB1 and pushed by former President Donald Trump, is designed to improve Republican chances by redrawing districts across the state. Currently, Republicans hold six of Missouri’s eight congressional seats and are aiming to add another.

The legal battle followed an earlier attempt by People Not Politicians to force a statewide referendum on the new map after collecting over 300,000 signatures. Hoskins rejected the petition on constitutional grounds, and a federal judge upheld that decision, allowing the GOP-backed map’s use during the August primaries. The Missouri Supreme Court’s later ruling blocked the map for the general election.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said that changing the congressional map between the primary and general elections would be “not feasible and profoundly unjust” for voters. State Senator Rick Brattin, the Republican candidate in a newly drawn district, welcomed the temporary restraining order preserving the primary map, arguing it prevents voter disenfranchisement.

Democratic figures criticized Hoskins’ actions. Former Senator Claire McCaskill called the secretary of state “lawless” and accused him of delaying action to limit opposition. She noted that the conservative Missouri Supreme Court’s blocking of the map, despite a GOP majority on the bench, indicated the extent of the controversy.

Local election officials are grappling with the uncertainty as deadlines loom. Boone County Clerk Brianna L. Lennon described being “in a holding pattern,” explaining that the county’s 125,000 voters face possible changes to district boundaries depending on the court outcome. Boone County has programmed election systems to accommodate both the contested maps, pending final direction.

Missouri uses paper ballots, and county clerks must coordinate with printing vendors to ensure ballots are ready for military and overseas voters by September 18, with early absentee voting set to begin on September 22. Lennon said printing ballots will be “a crunch” if a decision does not come soon but remains achievable.

With election day just over seven weeks away, Missouri remains caught in a legal and logistical conflict that continues to complicate preparations for the midterms.