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Ready your votes: Mo. Supreme Court says redistricted congressional map to stand

Missouri Supreme Court building
David Shane | Flickr
The Missouri Supreme Court building in Jefferson City, Mo.

Updated 4:04 p.m. with Diehl's comments.

The Missouri Supreme Court has releasedits judgment on a challenge to the recent redistricting of the state's new Congressional districts. 

The Court has upheld the new districts, finally providing certainty for candidates in the August primary elections.

The court ruled Friday that the eight new U.S. House districts comply with a constitutional requirement that they be "as compact... as may be." The ruling upholds a February decision by Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green.

Although some Supreme Court judges dissented, a majority determined that the Missouri Constitution does not require "absolute precision in compactness."

The legal challenge had focused particularly on boundaries drawn in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.

“We appreciate the work of the courts on this issue and have been confident that the maps would ultimately be upheld,” said Mo. state Rep. John Diehl, who chaired the House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting. “Throughout the process we were careful to comply with the requirements that the maps be compact, contiguous, and of equal population and we are pleased with the final outcome of this important process.”

Missouri lawmakers enacted the new districts last year by overriding a veto of Gov. Jay Nixon. The state lost one of its nine congressional districts as a result of the 2010 census.