Missouri SB 470: Establishes no-excuse absentee voting

Bill Text

EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 470
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR LEWIS.
1356S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal sections 115.277, 115.279, and 115.283, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new
sections relating to absentee voting.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 115.277, 115.279, and 115.283, RSMo, 1
are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to 2
be known as sections 115.277, 115.279, and 115.283, to read as 3
follows:4
115.277. 1. A registered voter of this state may cast 1
an absentee ballot in person at a location designated by the 2
election authority for all candidates and issues for which 3
such voter is eligible to vote at the polling place [if such 4
voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls to 5
vote on election day due to one of the reasons listed in 6
subsection 3 of this section]. A registered voter casting a 7
ballot under the provisions of this subsection shall provide 8
a form of personal photo identification that is consistent 9
with subsection 1 of section 115.427. [Beginning on the 10
second Tuesday prior to an election, a reason listed under 11
subsection 3 of this section shall not be required, provided 12
that, the provisions of section 1.140 to the contrary 13
notwithstanding, this sentence and section 115.427 shall be 14
nonseverable, and if any provision of section 115.427 is for 15
any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall 16
invalidate this sentence.] 17

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2. Except as provided in subsections 3, 4, and 5[, and 18
6] of this section, a registered voter of this state may 19
cast an absentee ballot not in person at a location 20
designated by the election authority for all candidates and 21
issues for which such voter [would be] is eligible to vote 22
at the polling place [if such voter expects to be prevented 23
from going to the polls to vote on election day due to one 24
of the reasons listed in subsection 3 of this section. An 25
absentee ballot that is not requested and completed in 26
person at the office of the election authority with a form 27
of personal photo identification that is consistent with 28
subsection 1 of section 115.427 shall have the statement on 29
the ballot envelope notarized as required under section 30
115.283, except that absentee ballots requested under 31
subdivisions (2) and (5) of subsection 3 of this section 32
shall not require notarization. This subsection shall apply 33
only in the case of absentee ballots that are not cast in 34
person]. 35
3. [A voter may request an absentee ballot for any of 36
the following reasons: 37
(1) Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of 38
the election authority in which such voter is registered to 39
vote; 40
(2) Incapacity or confinement due to illness or 41
physical disability on election day, including a person who 42
is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person 43
who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or 44
disability and resides at the same address; 45
(3) Religious belief or practice; 46
(4) Employment as: 47

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(a) An election authority, as a member of an election 48
authority, or by an election authority at a location other 49
than such voter's polling place; 50
(b) A first responder; 51
(c) A health care worker; or 52
(d) A member of law enforcement; 53
(5) Incarceration, provided all qualifications for 54
voting are retained; 55
(6) Certified participation in the address 56
confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 57
to 589.681 because of safety concerns. 58
4.] Any covered voter who is eligible to register and 59
vote in this state may vote in any election for federal 60
office, statewide office, state legislative office, or 61
statewide ballot initiatives by submitting a federal 62
postcard application to apply to vote by absentee ballot or 63
by submitting a federal postcard application at the polling 64
place even though the person is not registered. A federal 65
postcard application submitted by a covered voter pursuant 66
to this subsection shall also serve as a voter registration 67
application under section 115.908 and the election authority 68
shall, if satisfied that the applicant is entitled to 69
register, place the voter's name on the voter registration 70
file. Each covered voter may vote by absentee ballot or, 71
upon submitting an affidavit that the person is qualified to 72
vote in the election, may vote at the person's polling place. 73
[5.] 4. Any interstate former resident may vote by 74
absentee ballot for presidential and vice presidential 75
electors. 76
[6.] 5. Any new resident may vote by absentee ballot 77
for presidential and vice presidential electors after 78

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registering to vote in such resident's new jurisdiction of 79
residence. 80
115