Republicans supported a bill allowing for expanded mail in voting in elections later this year, a move backed by civil rights groups, but opposed by many Democrats and, for very different reasons, by Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
All voters will be allowed to mail in ballots under the provisions of the bill passed at the end of the legislative session, but most will need them notarized. SB 552, which has to be signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson, does not cover municipal elections on June 2.
Those considered at high risk of contracting COIVD-19, including those aged 65 and over, those living in long term care facilities or with pre-existing health conditions, can mail in ballots without notarization. Everyone else must have their ballot notarized.
The state had faced legal action from several rights groups, including the ACLU and the NAACP, over the claimed failure to act in the face of the coronavirus and potential problems people might face casting a ballot.
Sophia Lin Lakin, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project said, "Protecting people’s health should be a top priority in the middle of this pandemic.
"The Legislature’s action to expand absentee ballot access to certain high-risk individuals and provide a vote-by-mail option to all voters is the right thing to do," she said.
"While there is still some work to be done to ensure all Missourians are able to vote safely during COVID-19, this step marks a victory for voters.”
But Ashcroft opposed the passage of the bill because it did not include a photo ID requirement to vote.
“Over the past few months, I have been working with county clerks and legislators to create bi-partisan legislation that would enable Missourians to vote safely and securely in view of Covid-19 concerns," Ashcroft said in a statement.
The secretary of state supported an initial bill "because it allowed marginal expansion of absentee voting with safeguards of notarized ballots and a sunset clause. The bill also provided for a photo ID requirement, which Missourians overwhelmingly approved in 2016."
"Without the agreed upon safeguards, I have grave concerns that this bill will make voting less secure and jeopardize the integrity of our elections," Ashcroft said.
"I call on legislators to either add the original language back to the bill or vote the current version down. No bill at all is better than passing bad legislation with permanent consequences."
While some Democrats supported the bill, others believe it includes too many obstacles to voting, including the need for notarization.
“When you are not wanting to go to the polls because you are either ill or fearful of becoming ill, but then you have to go get a notary to be able to not go to the polls, it doesn’t really fix the problem,” House Democratic Minority Leader Crystal Quade said, according to a report by the Associated Press.