A 'crisis' in Missouri elections? Supreme Court puts the blame on one state official

Since the Missouri Supreme Court last week suspended new congressional maps drawn during an unprecedented gerrymander, state Republicans have pilloried the court for creating a "constitutional crisis." They've accused the court of causing confusion by forcing some voters to cast ballots in different districts than they voted in during last month's primary. The unanimous decision from the high court, however, made clear who was to blame for any chaos that arises: Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican. Hoskins, despite indicating last year that he believed a referendum on congressional maps was unconstitutional, chose instead to run out the clock. He waited until the deadline of Aug. 4 to declare the referendum unconstitutional — despite having received more than 300,000 signatures last December, enough to suspend the map and put it before voters under Missouri's constitution.

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