Does COVID-19 mean more Missourians should vote absentee? Gov. Parson says no
Fear of spreading or contracting COVID-19, or abiding by a stay-at-home order, are not legally permissible reasons for Missourians to cast an absentee ballot, Gov. Mike Parson said Tuesday.
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested states encourage mail-in methods of voting.
Parson addressed the matter at his daily briefing in response to a question from The Star. He said he did not consider absentee balloting a public health issue.
“The absentee ballot is more of a political issue than it is anything,” he said. “This is a Democrat-Republican issue and that’s where this is all headed, is to a political answer and what’s driving behind this force.”
The governor went on to say that right now “it’s about being prepared for COVID-19. Doing what we can for that. It’s about getting the economy started back up. It’s about getting people back to work. There will be time to talk about the elections in November and August. But now is not the time for that.”
Local elections around the state, including Kansas City and Jackson County, will take place on June 2. The statewide primary is scheduled for August, and the general election will be held in November.
Parson does not allow reporters to attend his daily briefings, and questions must be submitted at least an hour before he speaks. So there was not an opportunity for follow up questions about his position.
He has previously said that he would not support legislation to expand voting options during a pandemic, asserting that “our system is fine.”
Parson’s likely Democratic opponent in November, state Auditor Nicole Galloway, recently called for the governor to issue an executive order declaring the COVID-19 pandemic as a valid excuse for absentee voting.
On Tuesday, she panned Parson’s position.
“Making sure everyone can vote safely isn’t a ‘Democrat-Republican issue,’ Gov. Parson,” she tweeted. “Missourians should be able to participate in our democracy without putting their lives at risk.”
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican who oversees the state’s elections, has said it is not his place to interpret the absentee voting law. That duty, he says, falls to the courts.
Local elections authorities around the state disagree on whether the pandemic qualifies as one of six allowable excuses for casting an absentee ballot under Missouri law.
Activists with the Vote 2020 organization submitted questions to every county election office asking about COVID-19 and absentee voting.
Answers, which were provided to The Star, vary wildly.
In St. Francois County south of St. Louis, County Clerk Kevin Engler is encouraging residents to vote absentee prior to the June 2 municipal election to avoid potential exposure to COVID-19.
The Jackson County Election Board told Vote 2020 that unless a voter is “truly confined because they have the virus or are confined because of a disability or illness” then COVID-19 isn’t an acceptable excuse to request an absentee ballot.
“Fear of the virus is not a reason,” the board said.
Tammy Riebe, clerk in Lawrence County in southwest Missouri, said only voters who are in a high risk category per the CDC are able to vote absentee.
The St. Charles County Election Authority said COVID-19 is a valid excuse for the June municipal elections, but “the August election will depend on what standards the CDC and county health department have in place at that time.”
Jill LeCompte, Barry County clerk, responded that she was awaiting further instructions from the secretary of states office on the question of COVID-19 and absentee ballots.
Roberta Owens, clerk of Worth County in northwest Missouri, said the law has not changed on absentee ballot excuses, but there is an option for illness or confinement.
She added: “I do not police each person as to their absentee request issue.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 8:46 AM with the headline "Does COVID-19 mean more Missourians should vote absentee? Gov. Parson says no."
