Perfected

The act bars persons from compensating others for registering voters. Those who agree to or offer to submit a voter registration application for another person shall not knowingly destroy, deface, or conceal such an application and shall submit the application to the election authority within seven days of accepting the application. Those in violation of these provisions are guilty of a class four election offense.

Persons paid for soliciting more than ten voter registration applications, other than those paid by the government, must register with the secretary of state as a voter registration solicitor. A solicitor must be eighteen years old, registered to vote in Missouri, and register for every election cycle. Penalties for the failure to register are provided in the act.

The act allows anyone who believes a violation of the Help America Vote Act has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur may file a complaint with the elections division of the secretary of state's office. Complaint requirements are established.

The act amends personal identification requirements to be shown to gain voter eligibility at polling places. The identification must be issued by the United States or the state of Missouri, include the individual's name and photograph, and must have not expired before the date of the most recent general election unless it is a non-expiring or non-expired Missouri nondriver's license or a non-expired Missouri driver's license . Voters with physical or mental disabilities, handicaps or sincerely held religious beliefs and those born on or before January 1, 1941 who do not have sufficient identification are exempt from the requirement if they execute an affidavit stating such a sufficient reason. These individuals may cast a provisional ballot.

The act allows for issuing non-driver's licenses with photographic images to fulfill the identification requirement. The state of Missouri shall pay all the legally required fees for applicants for non-driver's licenses. Persons residing in convalescent, nursing, and boarding homes shall be issued a non-driver's license through a mobile processing system operated by the department of revenue at no cost.

The act requires the Secretary of State in cooperation with the department of revenue to administer a toll-free voter assistance telephone service to assist voters in identifying the times and locations whereupon such voters may acquire a free nondriver's license with a photographic or digital image for the purposes of voting.

The act establishes a process for adjudicating election complaints filed and decided on election day. Voters may file the complaints in any appellate court and the chief justice shall appoint a three-judge panel to hear such complaints on election day. Petitions may be filed by fax and oral arguments may be given over the telephone.

The act establishes a toll-free voter assistance telephone service to field questions from voters regarding voting issues.

The Department of Revenue shall deliver a yearly report documenting the number of individuals who have acquired nondriver's license identification for the purposes of voting.

An elections quick response team is created to aid voters in locating or processing any documents necessary to fulfill the new voter ID requirements.

Procedures to be followed to establish a voter's eligibility to vote at a polling place are established. Provisional ballots are allowed in some circumstances. Prior to counting provisional ballots, the election authority must determine if the voter is registered and eligible to vote, and the vote was properly cast. Procedures for this determination are included in the act.

Procedures for inspecting ballot cards are established.

Allows children under 18 to accompany parents, grandparents and guardians into voting booths.

The act makes the engaging in any act of violence, destruction of property having a value of five hundred dollars or more, or threatened act of violence with the intent of denying a person’s lawful right to participate in the election process, and knowingly providing false information about election procedures for the purpose of preventing someone from going to the polls, a class one election offense and a felony.

The act creates the Joint Committee on Voter Protection to investigate proprieties and improprieties of voter registration procedures, compliance with the federal Help America Vote act, and the availability of unimpeded and fair participation in the electoral process for all voters.

This act repeals provisions requiring election authorities to establish advance voting plans.

CHRIS HOGERTY