JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – New voter ID laws go into effect Thursday, the day after the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition held conferences around the state sharing opposition to the law.
“I am shocked and appalled by the misinformation campaign being run by these opponents of Missouri’s voter ID law,” Ashcroft said. “Their efforts are deplorable and intentionally designed to confuse and mislead Missourians. Missouri’s voter ID law will not disenfranchise a single voter.”
According to Missouri law, voters will need to have some form of photo ID to be able to cast their votes in any further elections.
“We heard the voice of Missouri voters loud and clear in November and have worked diligently to implement photo voter ID,” Ashcroft said “If you’re a registered voter, you can vote. It’s important that we protect the integrity of our elections by ensuring that every vote counts, but only once.”
Detractors have cited the new laws, passed under Constitutional Amendment 6, hinder voters more than they help. Groups such as the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition have made note of the perceived inefficiency in the creation of guidelines, poll worker training and details regarding how the new laws affect voters.
Denouncers have suggested that voters might be left with some confusion concerning how or even if they will be able to vote due to negligent implementation of the information needed.
Many have also made the criticism that the law appeals to racism, comparing it to something that resembles a law in the era of Jim Crow. According to the Secretary of State’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Steele Shippy, that criticism is incorrect.
“That is certainly false and misleading,” Shippy said. “If you’re a registered voter, you can vote. Missouri’s law has protections and provisions for all Missourians that would allow for anyone to vote without a photo ID using a second option which would allow [voters] to vote virtually the same way someone would have back in November of 2016.”
To vote, citizens must have one of several forms of photo/voter ID. This ranges from non-expired Missouri driver’s license, non-expired/non-expiring Missouri non-driver’s license, non-expired documents that contain the voter’s photo and information as issued by Missouri or the United States government and non-expired/non-expiring Military ID that contains the voter’s photo.
If a voter does not have any of the following requirements, Ashcroft said it’s important to note that he or she will not be turned away. For those without the proper identification, they will be given the second option using alternative forms of identification with a signed statement such state or government issued IDs, IDs given by an institution of higher education located in Missouri and copies of utility bills, bank statements, paychecks, government checks or government documents with the voter’s name and address.
For those lacking all forms of ID, voters will still be able to cast a provisional vote which will be counted if the voter returns with the ID needed or if the name written on the provisional vote matches the signature on previous voting records.
A statewide education program for voter’s who might not understand the guidelines will be implemented along with the new voting law on June 1, 2017. Ashcroft will start a 30-stop education tour of Missouri Monday.
Public Service Announcements also began airing on radio and television networks across the state informing Missourians of the new voter ID law.
