Senator Jill Carter Advances Senate Bill 985 to Strengthen Election Transparency and Integrity

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, presented Senate Bill 985 on Monday before the Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee. The legislation is designed to strengthen election integrity and improve the electoral process for Missourians.

“Senate Bill 985 is about strengthening transparency and trust in our elections,” Sen. Carter said. “By requiring the Secretary of the State to assign a unique ID to every voting precinct across the state, and directing local election officials to report results according to their original precinct using those IDs, we are ensuring greater accuracy, accountability, and clarity in the electoral process for every voter.”

Currently, absentee ballots are reported as a separate precinct rather than being attributed back to the voter’s home precinct — a practice this bill seeks to correct to ensure more accurate and transparent reporting.

“This change creates greater transparency for both the public and elected officials,” Sen. Carter said. “By implementing this approach, we can gain a clearer and more accurate picture of public sentiment on the issues that matter most to our communities and the candidates that will represent them.”

Senate Bill 985 further strengthens election administration by requiring the statewide voter file — which is accessible under Missouri law to poll watchers, election judges and the public — to be updated in a timely manner as elections approach. 

Ensuring the voter rolls are current helps equip the volunteers and election workers who dedicate their time to safeguarding our elections with accurate information on election night. The committee substitute has already refined this provision, tightening the language to eliminate any potential misinterpretation and clarify the bill’s intent. Finally, Senate Bill 985 extends a sunset provision for a fee that the Secretary of State collects to fund election operations.

For more information on Sen. Carter’s legislative actions, visit her official Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Carter.