Voter ID

State lawmakers passed legislation in 2022 that established a photo ID requirement at the polls.

The NAACP and the League of Women Voters are challenging Missouri's 2022 voter ID law, arguing it imposes unconstitutional burdens on the right to vote without actually achieving the stated goal of reducing fraud.

A trial starting Friday will be the third time Missouri courts have weighed the merits of a law intended to combat fraud against right to vote without interference.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft talked about instilling confidence in the state elections and his opposition to a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

The most controversial of the bills that took effect Sunday put new restrictions on voting and voter registration, including a requirement to show a photo ID to cast a ballot.

The House also approved an omnibus education bill that bolsters reading assistance in schools, and a bill giving more protections to sexual assault survivors.

The Missouri House this week signed off on legislation that would require photo identification to cast a ballot.

As Missouri lawmakers contemplate laws making it harder to vote without a photo ID, 42 other states are considering more than 250 bills that would raise barriers to voting.

Republican lawmakers in Jefferson City are seeking to change some of the state’s photo ID laws as they pertain to elections. Rep. John Simmons, R-Washington, sponsored the bill — which passed the House on Feb. 24 and is on its way to the Senate for consideration.

The Missouri Supreme Court struck down a portion of a photo ID law in January 2020, but the bill's sponsor said he crafted this legislation in direct response to that ruling.