Preserving the Integrity of Our Elections

On May 3, the Missouri Senate moved forward with an important piece of legislation aimed at protecting the integrity of our elections.

House Bill 1878 is a wide-ranging election bill. First and foremost, the bill enacts a voter ID requirement. If you have to prove who you are in order to stay at a hotel or get on a plane, why not also provide an ID to vote? I believe it’s commonsense measures like this that will increase the trust in our elections and ensure the people who vote are the people they say they are.

To prevent the sudden and often confusing changes to our election laws we saw in the lead up to the 2020 election, HB 1878 prohibits changes to election laws during the 26 weeks before a presidential election. This will ensure Missourians are all abiding by the same set of rules, without disruptions, in the run-up to an election. House Bill 1878 also requires election equipment to be air-gapped, meaning it is not connected to the internet, and that paper ballots are used. I believe both of these measures will ensure our election results are safe, secure and most importantly verifiable in the event of a dispute. Lastly, the bill also prohibits private money, such as so-called “Zuckerbucks,” from being used to influence the administration of our elections as well as bans the use of drop boxes for the delivery of absentee ballots.

Overall, I’m pleased with our work on this important matter. Secure elections are at the foundation of our republic. We need to trust that our elections are safe and secure, and we need to do everything we can to shore up any weaknesses the system may have. With HB 1878, I believe we can do just that, and I hope this legislation makes it to the governor’s desk before the end of session on May 13.

I am still working on language banning CRT, as well as dealing with the issue of transgender sports. The session is quickly winding down, and these two issues need to be dealt with.

I am honored to continue serving the citizens of the 8th Senatorial District. Please feel free to contact my office in Jefferson City at (573) 751-1464. For information about committees or sponsored legislation for the 2022 session, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Cierpiot.