The Jefferson County Clerk’s Office is “behind normal schedule” for preparing and printing ballots for the Nov. 3 general election, amid congressional map legal battles at the state and federal level.
Due to ongoing court proceedings regarding Missouri’s congressional map, County Clerk Jeannie Goff said ballots have yet to be printed for the election. However, the clerk’s office is closely monitoring the situation and, Goff said, can print ballots on demand if there are last-minute changes.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Sept. 8 rejected Missouri Republicans’ latest appeal to use a congressional map favoring the GOP, drafted by the Missouri Legislature and approved by Gov. Mike Kehoe in 2025.
Kavanaugh’s ruling upholds a Sept. 3 Missouri Supreme Court decision forbidding Secretary of State Denny Hoskins from using the 2025 map, instead directing him to use the original 2022 map. The court ruled that the bill creating the 2025 map is now subject to a statewide vote on Nov. 3, called Proposition A, and hasn’t yet taken legal effect.
The state court’s ruling has a direct effect on some Jefferson County voters.
The 2025 map had moved western Jefferson County, including Hillsboro, De Soto and Cedar Hill, from District 3 to District 2. As a result of the state Supreme Court ruling, upheld by Kavanaugh, western Jefferson County voters will be casting votes Nov. 3 in the District 3 race, which pits incumbent Rep. Bob Onder, R-St. Charles, against Bethany Mann, D-St. Peters.
In the Aug. 4 primary, Hoskins directed county clerks’ offices to use the 2025 redrawn map, and so western Jefferson County voters cast ballots in the District 2 race. In that race, incumbent Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, and Fred Wellman, D-Wildwood, won their primary races and will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Goff said the clerk’s office usually has ballots printed after absentee voting has begun, with absentee voting starting this election on Sept. 22. Ballots sent to polling places are printed by a vendor in Clinton, she said.
“At this time, normally we would at least have been through the setup process and on the list for printing,” Goff said. “It varies depending on other county orders that may get their order in before us. But obviously, we are behind normal schedule. But to add, we have ballot-on-demand printers in the office, so if a ballot is needed once we receive the programming, we will be able to print ballots as needed for voting.”
The battle over which congressional map to use isn’t done, however. While the Supreme Court ruling orders the 2022 maps to be used in the November election, an appeal winding its way through the 8th Circuit Court could change Missouri’s official congressional map once again.
Kehoe showed his support for Hoskins following the Missouri Supreme Court’s contempt hearings for Hoskins on Sept. 10, also suggesting the legal fight over the map is not yet finished. The court held Hoskins in contempt for violating its previous order but announced it would withhold any punishment after Hoskins ordered Missouri’s county clerks to use the 2022 map.
“While the reasoning behind today’s Missouri Supreme Court contempt hearings remains questionable, I am proud to stand behind Secretary Hoskins as he continues to serve as Missouri’s top elections authority,” Kehoe said in a statement on X. “I look forward to the Eighth Circuit’s consideration of the merits of the Missouri First Map and remain confident in the legal process moving forward. Voters deserve certainty and clarity.”
Absentee voting
In-person voting begins at the clerk’s office, 729 Maple St. in Hillsboro, six weeks before the Nov. 3 election, or Sept. 22. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In-person voters will be asked to present photo identification, such as a Missouri driver’s license, passport or military ID.
To vote absentee by mail, the clerk’s office requires voters to fill out an application. Ballot applications must be received by the second Wednesday prior to the election, which in this case is Oct. 21. The application can be found on the county clerk’s page on the county’s website, jeffcomo.org, and can be filled out and mailed to the clerk’s office or turned in in person.
The clerk’s mailing address is P.O. Box 100, Hillsboro, Mo. 63050.