The Missouri House on Wednesday that requires voters to show a valid photo ID to cast their ballots.
鈥淪howing a photo ID to vote will help my constituents and your constituents ensure their vote is not disenfranchised,鈥� said Rep. John Simmons, R-Washington, the sponsor of the legislation.
But several who opposed the idea, like Rep. Kevin Windham, D-Hillsdale, said that鈥檚 exactly what the legislation will do.
鈥淢atters like this, not just photo ID, have a long lineage of coming from voter disenfranchisement,鈥� Windham said.
The legislation requires anyone without a photo ID to cast a provisional ballot, something Windham called 鈥渁 second-class vote鈥� because it gets tallied after other ballots. If a provisional ballot is cast, voters can return with their ID at a specified time, or by comparing their signature on file.
Simmons argued Missourians are on his side, pointing to a regarding voter certification.
鈥淭he actual voters of Missouri agreed also with their desire for people to show a photo ID to vote,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淩emember 63% in favor on that ballot issue, 113 out of 115 counties voted in favor.鈥�
Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, disagreed with that statement and said he believes people would have voted differently had the ballot initiative stated that it would require photo ID. He read some of the ballot language during debate.
鈥淪hall the constitution of Missouri be amended to state that voters may be required by law 鈥� to verify one鈥檚 identity, citizenship and residence by presenting identification that may include valid government-issued photo identification.鈥�
He argued Missourians voted for a verification step but didn鈥檛 agree to the only option being photo ID.
The Missouri Supreme Court struck down a portion of a photo ID law in January 2020, but Simmons said he crafted this legislation in direct response to that ruling.
What the court struck down was not specific to the photo ID, but it ruled that the additional option, to allow voters to sign a sworn affidavit and show another form of ID, like a utility bill or a bank statement, was 鈥渕isleading and confusing.鈥� Simmons removed that language from his legislation entirely.
Many Republicans in the chamber touted the bill as a way to ensure safe and fair elections. Though Democrats pointed out that widespread voter fraud in Missouri and the country was not prevalent enough to change any elections, Rep. Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, said 鈥渁cross the country there have been 1,311 proven instances of voter fraud鈥� and cited a few examples in Missouri in recent years.
鈥淭his is a fantastic bill,鈥� she said. 鈥淓nough with the gaslighting and talking points. We want secure elections.鈥�
With a , the legislation will now head to the Senate.
