“Show Me” What Election Integrity Looks Like: FGA Congratulates Missouri General Assembly for Passing Sweeping Reform Bill
- BY FGA
NAPLES, FL – The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) applauds the Missouri General Assembly for passing H.B.1878, securing future state elections for years to come. H.B. 1878 was sponsored by Rep. John Simmons and passed on the floor late yesterday with an overwhelming 97-47 vote in the Missouri House. This could not have been done without leaders like Senate Elections Committee Chair Sandy Crawford, Rep. Simmons, House Elections Committee Chair Rep. Dan Shaul, Vice Chair Rep. Peggy McGaugh, and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft who stood up for Missourians by ensuring their elections remain 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
“The Missouri House and Senate have made huge strides with the passage of H.B. 1878 by protecting Missouri elections through their support of these commonsense election reforms,” said Gregg Pfister, Senior Director of State Government Affairs at FGA. “This bill is one of the best in the country and tackles a critical set of election reforms that 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.
