Missouri Governor Mike Parson Signs Sweeping Election Reform Bill Into Law
- BY FGA
NAPLES, FL – The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) applauds Governor Mike Parson for signing H.B. 1878 into law and helping to secure future Missouri elections. H.B. 1878, sponsored by Rep. John Simmons, passed last month with an overwhelming 97-47 vote in the Missouri House.
This reform would not have been possible without H.B. 1878’s sponsor and other key allies like Senate Elections Committee Chair Sandy Crawford, House Elections Committee Chair Rep. Dan Shaul, Vice Chair Rep. Peggy McGaugh, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who stood up for Missourians by working to make elections fair, transparent, and secure.
The bill includes provisions that:
- ban private funding from influencing election administration (Zuckerbucks ban)
- require photo ID for in-person and in-person absentee voting
- require absentee ballot notarization
- ban drop boxes
- ban pre-filled absentee applications
- prohibit soliciting absentee ballot applications
- provide the legislature with an opportunity to intervene in lawsuits and legal settlements when election laws are challenged
- allow the secretary of state to clean voter rolls and to withhold funding from election officials who refuse to perform required maintenance
- ban the paid solicitation of registration applications
- require absentee ballots to be received by the time the polls close
- prohibit the expansion of mail-in ballots without legislative changes
- require a bipartisan team to deliver and witness voting when 10 or more absentee applications are from the same address
- strengthen the prohibition on non-citizen voting
“Missouri has made huge strides with the signing of H.B. 1878, protecting Missouri elections through these commonsense election reforms,” said Gregg Pfister, Senior Director of State Government Affairs. “This election integrity bill is one of the best in the country and will greatly increase transparency and trust in the democratic process.”
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The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that promotes public policy solutions to create opportunities for every American to experience the American Dream. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org.
