Push for Missouri Supreme Court to allow absentee voting

In early June, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill allowing people at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 to vote absentee without needing an additional notarized statement.

“Any Missourian affected by COVID-19 should still be able to vote, including those who are sick or considered at-risk,” Parson said. Prior to the bill, state law required all who wanted an absentee ballot to fill out an application, and then have a notary or a witness sign the ballot.

Now, the NAACP and League of Women Voters say that the bill doesn’t go far enough, arguing that no one should be forced to risk their health and leave their home to vote during the pandemic, according to an article by KCUR.

On Monday, the Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments on whether all eligible Missouri voters should be allowed to cast absentee ballots without having to get them notarized due to COVID-19 concerns.

Sophia Lin Lakin, an attorney for the two civil rights groups, told the court that both Parson and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft have acknowledged that “requiring a person to appear before a notary during this public health crisis jeopardizes their health and the health of their families and fellow citizens, including the notaries.”

“The remaining issue for this court then is whether forcing voters to undertake this risk to health and life in order to vote by having to come into close contact with a notary to vote by mail on the one hand, or by having to show up at a crowded polling location to cast a ballot in person on the other, is contrary to state law and the state constitution,” Lakin was quoted by KCUR.

At issue is Missouri’s law permitting absentee voting only if voters provide an excuse for why they can’t vote in person. The bill signed in early June clears people at risk of contracting COVID-19 of this requirement.

The state’s argument is that it does not allow people who merely fear getting ill to vote absentee without notarization.

Circuit Judge Jon Beetem found the groups were asking for a “radical and permanent transformation of Missouri voting practices without the authorization of the Legislature,” according to KCUR. “The court takes very seriously the health concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic that plaintiffs allege in their petition, but the relief plaintiffs seek is not limited to Covid-19 and goes far beyond the health concerns they raise,” Beetem ruled.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling before Aug. 4, when statewide primary elections are scheduled to be held.