Missouri lawmakers, don’t put your partisan politics between voters and the ballot box

Election legislation in Missouri and across the nation should be reviewed with healthy skepticism, with two key questions asked: 1) Are there credible issues to address? and 2) Does the legislation create obstacles to certain groups of people?

As the former executive director of the Missouri Ethics Commission and Missouri elections director in the secretary of state’s office — both nonpartisan positions — I know how our elections work and I understand the necessary components to maintain and improve them. I’m not writing from the viewpoint of one party or ideology. I’ve worked for Republicans and Democrats and have seen both parties’ positions on elections and voting.

Here are key components I recommend for election integrity, based on my experience.

▪ Maintaining independence within the levels of government is essential. Checks and balances between local authorities running elections, state election officials performing final certification and the federal government issuing rules are important. Independence provides the foundation for maintaining accurate voter registration rolls and conducting fair, open and nonpartisan elections.

Legislation that injects politics at the local level — such as increased authority for the secretary of state to intervene with voter registration rolls — could disturb this independence.

▪ Providing each eligible voter access to vote is key. Voting access is improved when voters can vote early and don’t have to give a reason for voting absentee. Adequate polling places and secure ballot drop locations also make voting easier.

Many struggle to vote on Election Day: the elderly, parents without child care, people who use public transportation, those who cannot miss work, shift workers and caregivers. Early voting favors no political party, but provides greater access for eligible voters. Many of the 44 states with early voting have used it for years. Missouri law does not allow early voting.

Mail-in voting has existed since the Civil War. Today’s capabilities allow for electronic signature matching of the ballot envelope to the voter’s signature of record. Protocols currently exist, including processing absentee ballots with bipartisan teams for accurate counting.

Standards for polling place location would improve election access. Historically, insufficient polling places in minority areas require those voters to wait in line for hours to cast their ballots. This creates an unnecessary burden for voters, causing some to forego voting.

▪ Maintaining up-to-date cybersecurity protocols from the federal and state levels helps ensure secure elections. Funding for modern election equipment, voter registration databases, methods for tabulating votes and certifying election results, testing and validating election software, and conducting independent digital security assessments are integral.

▪ Preventing passage of laws that are red herrings for problems that do not exist is critical. Missouri legislators repeatedly introduce legislation requiring a specific form of photo ID to vote. This could prevent 200,000-plus legal state residents who do not possess that form of ID from voting. The elderly, the disabled, those who can’t take time off work and those who do not drive may not have that photo identification or the opportunity to obtain it.

Current Missouri law allows voters several identification options, including a voter registration card, a utility bill, a government document with their name and current address, or a university, state or federally issued ID. These options ensure integrity at the ballot box by verifying voters’ name and address against their voter registration record before receiving a ballot.

Free and fair elections — with opportunity for all eligible citizens to vote — serve as democracy’s cornerstone. It is our elected officials’ duty, as is it is ours, to rise above their politics and ensure they remain so.