More MO New Election Rules

Missouri Overhauled its Election Rules on Wednesday. The New Law, which Gov. Michael L. Parson (R) signed at the State Capitol in Jefferson City:

- Changed its Presidential Primary to a Caucus system.

- Makes it Illegal for Local Election Authorities to accept Private Donations in most circumstances.

- Repealed Provisions enacted at the Start of the Coronavirus Pandemic, that permitted Mail and Absentee Voting in the 2020 General Election, but Republicans compromised with Democrats, to allow Two weeks of No-Excuse In-Person Absentee Balloting. However, those Ballots must be Submitted at a Local Election Office. Military and Overseas Voters will still be permitted to Mail their Ballots.

- Voters to present a Photo ID when casting a Regular or Absentee Ballot. Those without such Documentation will be required to fill-out a Provisional Ballot that would be Segregated until they provide Photo Identification or their Signature is matched to the One kept on file by Election Officials.

- Requires the use of Hand-Marked Paper Ballots Statewide starting in 2023, with limited Exceptions for certain Touch-Screen systems until the end of 2023.

- Prohibition against the use of Drop Boxes for Absentee Ballots. A practice that many Republicans criticized during the 2020 Presidential Election.

The Law will take effect on Aug. 28th, in time for the November Election, after Missouri holds its Primaries on Aug. 2nd.

Missouri Voters approved a Constitutional Amendment in 2016, that led to a previous set of Voter ID Rules, but the State Supreme Court gutted those Rules in 2020. The Rules had stipulated that Voters without the required ID had to fill out an Affidavit or use Provisional Ballots until their Identity could be Validated.

The President of the League of Women Voters of Missouri said, to expect Legal Challenges to the New Law, which the group said could Disenfranchise Voters of Color, and those who are Young or Older.

While Paper Ballots are already overwhelmingly used in Missouri, Republicans have sought to scale back the use of Electronic Voting equipment Nationwide, spreading Falsehoods that the Devices were Rigged during the 2020 Presidential Election.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker