Amendment 4 puts rural Missouri at center of fight over ballot power

Amendment 4, a proposed Missouri constitutional amendment, requires citizen-led amendments to win majorities in each of the state's eight congressional districts in addition to a statewide majority. Supporters argue it empowers rural Missouri by countering urban influence, while opponents claim it would silence rural and urban voters by making it harder to pass initiatives through petitions. Recent initiatives like Medicaid expansion and recreational marijuana legalization passed statewide despite rural opposition.