FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 709

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


 

 

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DUSENBERG (Sponsor), JONES (89), YATES, ALLEN AND GATSCHENBERGER (Co-sponsors).

1237L.01I                                                                                                                                                  D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk


 

AN ACT

To repeal section 115.163, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to voter identification.




Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:


            Section A. Section 115.163, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 115.163, to read as follows:

            115.163. 1. Each election authority shall use the Missouri voter registration system established by section 115.158 to prepare a list of legally registered voters for each precinct. The list shall be arranged alphabetically or by street address as the election authority determines and shall be known as the "precinct register". The precinct registers shall be kept by the election authority in a secure place, except when given to election judges for use at an election. Except as provided in subsection 2 of section 115.157, all registration records shall be open to inspection by the public at all reasonable times.

            2. A new precinct register shall be prepared by the election authority prior to each election.

            3. The election authority shall send to each voter, except those who registered by postcard and have not voted, a voter [notification] identification card no later than ninety days prior to the date of a primary or general election for federal office, unless the voter has received such a card during the preceding six months. The voter [notification] identification card shall contain the voter's name, address, and precinct. The card also shall inform the voter of the personal identification requirement in section 115.427 and may also contain other voting information at the discretion of the election authority. The voter [notification] identification card shall be sent to a voter, except those who registered by postcard and have not voted, after a new registration or a change of address. If any voter, except those who registered by postcard and have not voted, shall lose his voter [notification] identification card, he may request a new one from the election authority. The voter [notification] identification card authorized pursuant to this section may be used as a canvass of voters in lieu of the provisions set out in sections 115.179 to 115.193. Except as provided in subsection 2 of section 115.157, anyone, upon request and payment of a reasonable fee, may obtain a printout, list and/or computer tape of those newly registered voters or voters deleted from the voting rolls, since the last canvass or updating of the rolls. The election authority may authorize the use of the postal service contractors under the federal National Change of Address program to identify those voters whose address is not correct on the voter registration records. The election authority shall not be required to mail a voter registration card to those voters whose addresses are incorrect. Confirmation notices to such voters required by section 115.193 shall be sent to the corrected address provided by the National Change of Address program.