HB 2158 -- Missouri Voter Protection Act

Sponsor:  Cooper (158)

This bill establishes the Missouri Voter Protection Act.  In its
main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Allows election authorities to use lists prepared in
accordance with Section 115.158, RSMo, for record keeping;

(2)  Removes provisions allowing advance voting for general
elections and certain court challenges to remove names from
registration lists;

(3)  Prohibits payment for voter registration based on the number
of voters registered or the number of applications collected or
submitted.  A violation of this provision will be a class four
election offense;

(4)  Requires voter registration solicitors to be 18 years of age
or older, a Missouri voter, and to register with the Secretary of
State's Office;

(5)  Establishes procedures for a person to file a complaint
alleging the violation of the federal Help America Vote Act and
specifies the required content of the complaint and the
requirements for the investigation and resolution of the
complaint;

(6)  Requires voters to establish their identity prior to voting
by using their Missouri driver's or nondriver's license or other
specified documents;

(7)  Allows the use of provisional ballots in certain
circumstances, specifies procedures for determining the accuracy
of provisional ballots by election authorities and bipartisan
committees, and requires the state to pay the costs of issuing
some form of identification to voters;

(8)  Prohibits courts from extending polling hours;

(9)  Establishes specific criteria for determining the intent of
the voter with punch card ballots, electronic scan ballots, and
write-in ballots;

(10)  Creates the crime of using or threatening the use of
violence or property destruction to impede the right to vote, a
class one election offense; and

(11)  Creates the crime of providing false information in order
to impede the right to vote, a class one election offense.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:45 am