Missouri voters casting absentee ballots are confronting uncertainty over which congressional districts will appear on their ballots, as a dispute over a Republican-backed map remains before the U.S. Supreme Court less than six weeks before the November election. Absentee voting began Tuesday, with counties accepting in-person voters and mail ballots from people unable to vote on Election Day. Several local election officials said they are urging voters who have flexibility to consider waiting for the court’s decision—not telling them they cannot vote. “We want to caution voters that they might want to wait because of the federal litigation,” Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon said. Election offices are currently using the congressional map from the 2024 election. But a federal appeals court on Monday ordered Missouri to use a new map drawn by state Republicans. If the Supreme Court sides with state officials or does not intervene, that order could take effect for November. The new map was designed to shift Missouri’s U.S. House delegation from six Republicans and two Democrats to a 7-1 Republican advantage, including by reshaping the Kansas City district held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Missouri’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously earlier this month that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins improperly blocked a voter referendum on the map. The ruling placed the referendum on the November ballot and directed the state to use the 2024 districts. The state and federal court orders have since pointed in different directions. The U.S. Supreme Court has previously declined to allow the new map to be used, while a federal appeals court later reinstated an order requiring it. Another appeal is now before the nation’s high court, which could issue a decision at any time. In Boone County, a switch to the new boundaries could affect about 40% of voters, Lennon said. More than a dozen people had voted in person since Tuesday; some chose to wait, while others said it was their only opportunity. The county has also mailed roughly 1,200 ballots. Because a voter can cast only one ballot, local officials said it is unclear how a ballot already submitted could be handled if the district map changes. Lennon said there is no process for correcting a ballot so close to Election Day, and officials do not know whether a map change would affect the entire ballot or only the congressional contest. A last-minute change would also require counties to print new ballots and clear and reprogram voting equipment. Lennon said the work could take a weekend, adding, “We will try as hard as we can to do it quickly.” The effects could extend well beyond Boone County. Jackson County Clerk Diane Thompson said the new map places the entire county in a different congressional district. She urged voters who are able to wait to do so, saying that would help ensure they receive the correct ballot. In Miller County, all of the county’s approximately 19,000 registered voters could be affected by a map change, said Clerk Clinton Jenkins. The county has mailed ballots but had not yet seen in-person absentee voters, he said. Jenkins has been coordinating with other counties to make sure they can print ballots on demand if the districts change. “If they can slow it down until a decision, it will be beneficial to everyone,” Jenkins said.