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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The fight over Missouri’s congressional map<\/a> returned to the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time late Tuesday, after an appeals court ordered the revival<\/a> of new districts backed by President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n The new map was drawn to help Republicans gain a U.S. House seat in the pivotal midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. The Supreme Court<\/a> has twice blocked efforts to use it in November.<\/p>\n The latest emergency appeal comes after an unusual federal appeals court ruling that ordered a last-minute return to a GOP-friendly map even after the Supreme Court halted such a move.<\/p>\n The justices had left in place a Missouri Supreme Court decision requiring the state to use its previous map. The state court ruled that the new districts could not take effect unless voters approved them in a statewide referendum<\/a>.<\/p>\n The U.S. Supreme Court gave supporters of the new map until midday Wednesday to respond to the latest appeal.<\/p>\n The dispute has caused confusion for over a million potential voters who could be shuffled among districts. Absentee voting already is underway in Missouri using districts adopted in 2022, after the last census.<\/p>\n The new congressional map backed by Trump significantly reshapes a Kansas City-based district held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Republicans hope the map could help them win seven of the state\u2019s eight House seats \u2014 one more than they currently hold.<\/p>\n Missouri\u2019s redistricting battle has been the longest and most complex<\/a> among roughly a dozen states that sought to change their U.S. House districts over the past year. Districts are usually redrawn at the start of each decade, after a census. But Trump spurred a spate of mid-decade redistricting last year when he urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to gain an edge in the midterm.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/us-supreme-court<\/a> and redistricting at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/redistricting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n