SB 170 - Currently, in order to vote absentee, voters must provide an excuse for not being able to vote in-person on the designated election day. This act allows any person to vote absentee without such an excuse beginning on the fourth Thursday prior to the election. The act establishes identification requirements for voting. Voters shall produce a nonexpired Missouri driver's license; a nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver's license; any identification containing a photograph issued by the Missouri National Guard, the United States armed forces, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or a document issued by the United States or the state of Missouri containing the name of the voter which substantially conforms to the most recent signature in the individual's voter registration records, a photograph, and an expiration date or if expired, the expiration is after the date of the most recent general election.
Those appearing without identification who are unable to obtain one because of a physical or mental disability, an inability to pay for a document necessary to obtain the required identification, a religious belief against forms of identification or the voter was born before January 1, 1941, shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot, provided the election authority can verify the identity of the individual by comparing the individual's signature to the signature on file with the election authority.
All voters whose identity cannot be established are allowed to cast a provisional ballot which shall not be counted unless the voter returns and provides proper identification.
All costs incurred by the election authority associated with implementing the new identification requirements shall be reimbursed from the general revenue upon appropriation.
The election authority shall provide advance notice of the identification requirements to be included in the election authority's elections notices.
The state shall provide at least one form of identification required to vote at no cost to the voter.
The act requires that provisional ballots be available for all elections except for absentee voting.
This act is contingent on the passage of a constitutional amendment establishing voter photo identification for elections.
This act is similar to SB 169 (2015), the perfected version of HB 30 (2015), HB 240 (2015), SB 511 (2014), SB 27 (2013), SCS/HB 1104 (2012), SCS/SB 442 (2012), HCS#2/SB 3 (2011), HB 1966 (2010), SB 523 (2009), and SB 1014 (2006).
SCOTT SVAGERA