JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 An attempt by Missouri鈥檚 Republican-led Legislature to restrict voter registration efforts and absentee voter outreach is unlikely to be in effect when voters go to the polls Nov. 5.
In a hearing Monday, voting rights groups faced off against the state in a bench trial to determine if the provisions of the 2022 election law violate the Missouri Constitution.
But no matter if Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem issues a quick ruling, attorneys signaled that post-trial motions and preparations for a likely appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court make it highly improbable the matter would be resolved before Election Day.
At issue are a controversial set of GOP-backed rules banning paid solicitation of voter registration applications and a requirement that volunteers who attempt to sign up more than 10 voters must register with the state.
People are also reading…
Another provision targeted in the lawsuit filed by the NAACP and the League of Women Voters of Missouri said volunteer solicitors must be Missouri voters. A fourth provision barred people from soliciting 鈥渁 voter into obtaining an absentee ballot application.鈥
The 2022 law was a top legislative priority for Republicans after former President Donald Trump falsely alleged he won the 2020 election. The so-called voter integrity effort was touted by supporters as ensuring clean elections, even though there have been few examples of voter fraud.
Beetem put the law temporarily on hold in a 2022 ruling, saying the provisions were unconstitutional because they limit free speech. And, he said, the state could not adequately explain how the law would address alleged fraud.
Chrissy Peters, a top state election official in the Missouri Secretary of State鈥檚 office, was on the witness stand for four hours Monday. She said banning payments to solicitors would eliminate the often-sloppy work that can result from a paid solicitor who is trying to process multiple registrations in order to earn a paycheck.
鈥淚t would decrease the registrations that are fraudulent,鈥 she said.
Peters added that the registrations that are submitted to county clerks with missing information results in added costs for local election authorities.
鈥淚t takes time away from administering elections,鈥 Peters said.
Another witness, Jackson County election chief Tammy Brown said there is little need for outside groups to help register voters.
鈥(Voters) are smart enough to register themselves. They have so many options. The opportunities are there,鈥 Brown said.
But attorney Denise Lieberman, representing the advocacy groups, said the examples cited by Peters show there is a system in place to stop fraudulent registrations.
The August primary election also went off without a hitch, according to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who lost his bid for governor despite being co-endorsed by Trump.
鈥淓lections are the bedrock of our republic and Missouri continues to be a national leader in election integrity. We have safe, accurate, accessible elections with timely results. That鈥檚 not something every state can boast,鈥 Ashcroft said in a statement following the election.
In putting the proposed changes on hold, Beetem said the groups had been hurt by the law.
鈥淧laintiffs are injured both because the requirement reduces the pool of potential volunteers who can carry their pro-voter message and because it requires them to dedicate additional resources toward compliance,鈥 the judge said.
Beetem also said limiting how many people a voter can encourage people to register to vote is unconstitutional.
鈥淪uch a direct restriction on core political speech is plainly prohibited by the Missouri Constitution,鈥 he said.
Beetem has scheduled the next hearing for Sept. 10 to determine when closing arguments will be made in the case.