Missouri Supreme Court hears arguments on voter law changes
Marie Moyer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) — The Missouri Supreme Court convened Monday to hear arguments on two appeals related to voter laws.
Both suits were filed by the NAACP and League of Women Voters in 2022 following the passage of House Bill No. 1878, which changed state rules related to elections, including sections dealing with voter registration, absentee voting and voter identification.
The first suit has the NAACP and League of Women Voters appealing a previous ruling in favor of the state that deemed HB 1878 was constitutional. One of HB 1878’s rules requires voters to provide a current government-issued photo ID at the polls, making alternative IDs such as a Missouri student ID, voter registration cards, and utility or bank statements, which were previously accepted, invalid.
Voters who show up on Election Day without a valid photo ID can only cast a provisional ballot, which will count if they return later that day with proper ID or if their signature matches the one on file. But in-person absentee voters who lack a valid ID are not allowed to cast a provisional ballot at all.
The groups argued that the tighter restrictions on voter IDs violated the Missouri Constitution’s equal protection clause, which guarantees a right to vote, claiming several Missouri voters in 2022 sued the state after having issues getting a valid ID, either due to disabilities or other difficulties.
The state won the initial ruling, arguing that the voters who sued with the groups were ultimately able to vote, that provisional ballots are commonly counted and that potential voters can easily access state resources to get a valid ID.
“The law is now tremendously easy to comply with because voters can easily obtain free IDs, join the permanently disabled voters list, or cast provisional ballots — which are almost always counted,” according to the State’s brief.
The second suit has the state appealing a court ruling in favor of the NAACP and League of Women Voters. House Bill No. 1878 tightened rules surrounding people who solicit voter registrations.
This included ending payment for solicitors and requiring solicitors to be at least 18 years old and registered Missouri voters. The rule also banned solicitors from encouraging voters to get an absentee ballot application by making the action a Class 1 election offense that could result in jail time.
The groups argued that the statute’s use of the term “solicitor” is overly broad, potentially applying to anyone who encourages or assists with voter registration. They argued that this vagueness exposes volunteers to criminal penalties and places unconstitutional restrictions on political speech.
The state argues that the definition of “solicitor” in the statute only applies to someone who provides voters with registration or absentee-ballot applications and then collects the completed documents for submission to a local election.
The Missouri Supreme Court has not yet ruled on either appeal.
