Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2503
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE KELLEY .
4182H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal section 1 15.427, 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Section A. Section 1 15.427, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu
2 thereof, to be known as section 1 15.427, to read as follows:
1 15.427. 1. Persons seeking to vote in a public election shall establish their identity
2 and eligibility to vote at the polling place or , if voting absentee in person under section
3 1 15.277, at the office of the election authority or other authorized location designated by the
4 election authority by presenting a form of personal photo identification to election of ficials.
5 No form of personal photo identification other than the forms listed in this section shall be
6 accepted to establish a voter's qualifications to vote. Forms of personal photo identification
7 that satisfy the requirements of this section are any one of the following:
8 (1) Nonexpired Missouri driver's license;
9 (2) Nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver's license;
10 (3) A document that satisfies all of the following requirements:
11 (a) The document contains the name of the individual to whom the document was
12 issued, and the name substantially conforms to the most recent signature in the individual's
13 voter registration record;
14 (b) The document shows a photograph of the individual;
15 (c) The document includes an expiration date, and the document is not expired, or , if
16 expired, the document expired after the date of the most recent general election; and
17 (d) The document was issued by the United States or the state of Missouri; or
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
18 (4) Any identification containing a photograph of the individual which is issued by
19 the Missouri National Guard, the United States Armed Forces, including the Space Force, or
20 the United States Department of V eteran Af fairs to a member or former member of the
21 Missouri National Guard or the United States Armed Forces, including the Space Force, and
22 that is not expired or does not have an expiration date.
23 2. (1) An individual who appears at a polling place without a form of personal
24 identification described in subsection 1 of this section and who is otherwise qualified to vote
25 at that polling place shall be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. The election judges shall
26 make a notation on the provisional ballot envelope to indicate that the voter's identity was not
27 verified.
28 (2) No person shall be entitled to receive a provisional ballot until such person has
29 completed a provisional ballot af fidavit on the provisional ballot envelope. All provisional
30 ballots shall be marked with a conspicuous stamp or mark that makes them distinguishable
31 from other ballots.
32 (3) The provisional ballot envelope shall be completed by the voter for use in
33 determining the voter's eligibility to cast a ballot.
34 3. The provisional ballot envelope shall provide a place for the voter's name, address,
35 date of birth, and last four digits of his or her Social Security number , followed by a
36 certificate in substantially the following form:
37 I do solemnly [ swear ] attest and affirm that I am the person identified
38 above and the information provided is correct. I understand that my
39 vote will not be counted unless:
40 (1) (a) I return to this polling place today between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00
41 p.m. and provide one of the following forms of identification:
42 a. Nonexpired Missouri driver's license;
43 b. Nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver's license;
44 c. A document that satisfies all of the following requirements:
45 (i) The document contains my name, in substantially the same form as
46 the most recent signature on my voter registration record;
47 (ii) The document contains my photograph;
48 (iii) The document contains an expiration date and is not expired, or if
49 expired, the document expired after the date of the most recent general
50 election; and
51 (iv) The document was issued by the United States or the state of
52 Missouri; or
53 d. Identification containing my photograph issued to me by the
54 Missouri National Guard, the United States Armed Forces, including
HB 2503 2
55 Space Force, or the United States Department of V eteran Af fairs as a
56 member or former member of the Missouri National Guard or the
57 United States Armed Forces that is not expired or does not have an
58 expiration date; or
59 (b) The election authority verifies my identity by comparing my
60 signature on this envelope to the signature on file with the election
61 authority and determines that I was eligible to cast a ballot at this
62 polling place; and
63 (2) This provisional ballot otherwise qualifies to be counted under the
64 laws of the State of Missouri.
65 __________________ ____________________
66 Signature of V oter Date
67 __________________ ____________________
68 Signature of Election Of ficials
69
70 Once voted, the provisional ballot shall be sealed in the provisional ballot envelope and
71 placed in a separate secured container by the election judge.
72 4. The provisional ballot cast by such voter shall not be counted unless:
73 (1) (a) The voter returns to the polling place during the uniform polling hours
74 established by section 1 15.407 and provides a form of personal identification that allows the
75 election judges to verify the voter's identity as provided in subsection 1 of this section; or
76 (b) The election authority verifies the identity of the individual by comparing that
77 individual's signature to the signature on file with the election authority and determines that
78 the individual was eligible to cast a ballot at the polling place where the ballot was cast; and
79 (2) The provisional ballot otherwise qualifies to be counted under section 1 15.430.
80 5. The secretary of state shall provide notice of the personal photo identification
81 requirements described in subsection 1 of this section on the of ficial state internet website of
82 the secretary of state.
83 6. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 136.055 and section 302.181 to the
84 contrary , the state and all fee of fices shall provide one nondriver's license at no cost to any
85 otherwise qualified voter who does not already possess such identification and who desires
86 the identification for voting.
87 (2) This state and its agencies shall provide one copy of each of the following, free of
88 char ge, if needed by an individual seeking to obtain a form of personal photo identification
89 described in subsection 1 of this section in order to vote:
90 (a) A birth certificate;
HB 2503 3
91 (b) A marriage license or certificate;
92 (c) A divorce decree;
93 (d) A certificate of decree of adoption;
94 (e) A court order changing the person's name;
95 (f) A Social Security card reflecting an updated name; and
96 (g) Naturalization papers or other documents from the United States Department of
97 State proving citizenship.
98
99 Any individual seeking one of the above documents in order to obtain a form of personal
100 photo identification described in subsection 1 of this section for voting may request the
101 secretary of state to facilitate the acquisition of such documents. The secretary of state shall
102 pay any fee or fees char ged by another state or its agencies, or any court of competent
103 jurisdiction in this state or any other state, or the federal government or its agencies, in order
104 to obtain any of the above documents from such state or the federal government.
105 (3) Any applicant who requests a nondriver's license for voting shall not be required
106 to pay a fee. The state of Missouri shall pay the legally required fees for any such applicant.
107 The department of revenue and a local election authority may enter into a contract that allows
108 the local election authority to assist the department in issuing nondriver's license photo
109 identifications.
110 7. The director of the department of revenue shall, by January first of each year ,
111 prepare and deliver to each member of the general assembly a report documenting the number
112 of individuals who have requested and received a nondriver's license photo identification for
113 the purposes of voting under this section. The report shall also include the number of persons
114 requesting a nondriver's license for purposes of voting under this section, but not receiving
115 such license, and the reason for the denial of the nondriver's license.
116 8. The precinct register shall serve as the voter identification certificate. The
117 following form shall be printed at the top of each page of the precinct register:
118 VOTER'S IDENTIFICA TION CER TIFICA TE
119 W arning: It is against the law for anyone to vote, or attempt to vote,
120 without having a lawful right to vote.
121 PRECINCT
122 W ARD OR T OWNSHIP ______
123 GENERAL (SPECIAL, PRIMAR Y) ELECTION
124 Held ______, 20______
125 Date
HB 2503 4
126 I hereby certify that I am qualified to vote at this election by signing
127 my name and verifying my address by signing my initials next to my
128 address.
129 9. The secretary of state shall promulgate rules to ef fectuate the provisions of this
130 section.
131 10. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is
132 created under the authority delegated in this section shall become ef fective only if it complies
133 with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028.
134 This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the
135 general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review , to delay the ef fective date or to
136 disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of
137 rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2002, shall be invalid
138 and void.
139 1 1. If any voter is unable to sign his name at the appropriate place on the certificate or
140 computer printout, an election judge shall print the name and address of the voter in the
141 appropriate place on the precinct register , the voter shall make his mark in lieu of signature,
142 and the voter's mark shall be witnessed by the signature of an election judge.
✔
HB 2503 5