HCSHB2140--ELECTIONS
SPONSOR: McGaugh
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElectionsandElectedOfficialsbyavoteof9to3.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
2140.
Thissubstitutechangeselectionlaws.Initsmainprovisionsthe
substitute:
(1)AuthorizestheSecretaryofState(SOS)toauditvoter
registrationlistsandrequireelectionauthoritiestoremove
impropernames.Auditproceduresanddeadlinesarespecifiedin
thebillandnoncompliancecouldresultinawithholdoffunds
(Section28.960,RSMo);
(2)Removesobsoletereferencestoballotcardsandrequires
votingmachinestobeairgappedasasecuritymeasure. Theterm
"airgapped"isspecifiedinthebill(Section115.013,115.417,
115.447,RSMo);
(3)Prohibitsthestateanditspoliticalsubdivisionsfrom
receivingorexpendingprivatemoneyforpreparing,administering,
orconductinganelectionorregisteringvoters(Section115.022);
(4)Removestheoneyearvoterandresidencyrequirementfor
electioncommissioners, butretainstherequirementsofvoter
registrationandresidencyatthetimeofappointment(Section
115.031);
(5)Exemptsboardofelectioncommissionersandclerkemployees
fromrequirementtoresideorregisterwithinthejurisdictionin
whichtheyserve(Sections115.045and115.051);
(6)Allowsappointmentofelectionjudgeswhoresideoutsidethe
requisiteelectionauthority'sjurisdictionwithouttheneedfor
writtenconsentfromtheelectionauthorityinwhosejurisdiction
thepotentialjudgeresides. Proceduresforselectingelection
judgesfromlistssubmittedbypoliticalpartycommitteesis
specified(Section115.081;115.085);
(7)Repealsspecifiedregistrationexceptionsforintrastatenew
residentsandauthorizesregistrationinthestateofMissourifor
suchindividuals(Section115.135);
(8)AuthorizestheDepartmentofRevenuetouseelectronic applicationswhensendingmaterialstoelectionauthoritiesunder
theexistingvoterregistrationprograminplaceattheDivisionof
MotorVehiclesandDriversLicensing,withintheDepartmentof
Revenue. Nopersonwithdocumentationshowingnon-citizenshipwill
beofferedregistrationtovote,andvoterinformationmaybe
analyzedtoavoidmistakesusingthestatewidevoterregistration
databaseasspecifiedinthebill.Electronicapplicationsshall
besentnolaterthanthreebusinessdaysaftercompletionofa
form.Theelectronicapplicationsshallbesecureandinaformat
compatiblewiththeexistingVoterRegistrationSystemunder
Section115.158. TheSecretaryofStateandDirectorofthe
DepartmentofRevenueshallguaranteethesecurityandtransmission
ofelectronicdata.Imagesofsignaturesmaybeusedforthe
purposeofvoterregistration(Sections115.151,115.160,115.960);
(9)Restrictsvoterinformationreleasedbyelectionauthorities
byeliminatingthedateofbirthandprohibitingusesfor
commercialpurposes. Certainrequirementstoreleasesuch
informationtothegeneralpublicarealsorepealedormodified.
Specifiedvoterhistoryinformationwillbeforwardedtothe
SecretaryofStatewithinthreemonthsafteranelection(Sections
115.157and115.289);
(10)Allowsregisteredvoterstofilechangeofaddressformsin
persononelectiondayattheOfficeoftheElectionAuthorityif
theyprovideatypeofpersonalidentification underSubsection1
ofSection115.427whichinvolvesphotographicidentification
(Sections115.165);
(11)Prohibitpaymentforsolicitingvoterregistration
applicationsandrequiresregistrationwiththeSecretaryof
State'sofficeforsolicitingmorethan10voterregistration
applicationsasspecifiedinthebill(Section115.205).
(12)BeginningJanuary1,2024,thebillrequirestheuseofa
paperballotandrepealselectronicvotingsystemlanguagewith
certainexceptionsforvotingequipmentusedforthedisabled. The
billrequireslocalelectionauthoritiestobemembersofthe
CenterforInternetSecurityandallowstheSOStoreviewcyber
securityforlocalelectionauthoritiesandvendorsasspecifiedin
thebill.Testingofvendorproductssuchasprogramsandmachines
isallowedandsubjecttoappropriation(Sections115.225,115.237,
115.447);
(13)Definesabsenteeballotsasthoseauthorizedtobecastaway
fromapollingplaceorintheofficeoftheelectionauthorityor
otherauthorizedlocationdesignatedbytheelectionauthority.
ReferencestoSpaceForceareincludedforpurposesofvoting processesandelectronicballotinformationauthorizedforthe
ArmedForces(Sections115.257,115.275,115.902);
(14)Allowsuseofabsenteeballotstovoteinpersonwithaform
ofpersonalidentificationasspecifiedinthebill.Notarization
requirementsarealsospecifiedinthebilldependinguponthe
excuseforvotingabsenteeandwhetherornotvotingisconducted
inperson.Affidavitformsaremodified. Thecastingofinperson
absenteeballotswithphotographicidentification isauthorized
onlyifcourtsupholdtheconstitutionality ofphotographic
identification requirementsasspecifiedinthebill.No
individualorgroupshallsolicitvotersregardingabsenteeballot
applicationsandsuchapplicationsshallnotbepre-filledand
providedtovoters(Sections115.277and115.279,115.283);
(15)Definescastingofabsenteeballotsasspecifiedinthebill
(Section115.286);
(16)Allowsvoterassistanceincasesoftemporaryconfinementdue
toillnessorphysicaldisabilityonelectionday,butrepeals
specificCOVID-19referencestomail-inballotsthathaveexpired
(Sections115.287,115.291,and115.652);
(17)Specifiesphotographicidentification requirementsforvoting
aregularballot,butallowsuseofprovisionalballotswithany
typeofdocumentationcurrentlyallowedforvoting.Alineitem
appropriationfortheSecretaryofState'sOfficeregardingnotice
ofpersonalidentificationisrepealed. Certainaffidavit
requirementsarerepealedandrequirementsforprovisionalballots
arespecifiedinthebill(Section115.427);
(18)Specifiesthatonceaballotissubmitted,thenitisdeemed
cast(115.435);
(19)RepealsexpiredSection115.302,whichallowedmailin
ballotsduringtheCOVID-19crisisandothersectionsreferencing
obsoleteCOVID-19laws(Section115.652);
(20)Establishesthe"MissouriElectionsSovereigntyAct"which
demarcatesthedistinctionbetweenfederalandstateelectionsand
reservesthepoweroftheGeneralAssemblyoverthoseaspectsof
bothstateandfederalelectionsgrantedtothestatesunderthe
federalconstitutionasspecifiedinthebill(Section115.1200);
(21)Requirescertainstateagenciesandpersonsauthorizedto
administerelectionstoreportcommunications involvingelections
fromthefederalgovernmentanditsagenciesasspecifiedinthe
bill.Theimplementation offederalguidanceconcerningelection
laws,rules,andpolicieswillrequirenoticetotheGeneral Assemblyandatimelimitof30dayspriortoimplementation.
Violationofimplementation requirementswillresultinafineof
$5000tobeleviedevery30daysuntilanyimplementedguidanceis
withdrawn. ThisprovisionexpiresonFebruary1,2025(Section
115.1505);
(22)Requiresnoticeofthereceiptorintenttodistribute
federalfundsforuseinelectionadministration asspecifiedin
thebill.TheGeneralAssembly,byvote,maydeclineacceptanceof
fundsduringthe30daynoticeperiods. Aviolationofthenotice
requirementswillresultinafineintheamountofanyfunds
acceptedordistributedinviolationofthebillandanadditional
$1000.ThisnoticerequirementexpiresonFebruary1,2025
(Section115.1510);and
(23)Limitstheauthorityorabilityofspecifiedpublicofficials
tonullify,suspend,enjoin,alter,oracceptcompromises
conflictingwithChapters115to128.Stateorfederalcourt
challengestostatestatutesasunconstitutional orpreemptedby
federallaworasotherwisevoidshallrequirenoticetothe
SpeakeroftheHouseofRepresentatives andthePresidentProTem
oftheSenatewithin14days.Methodsforinterventioninlawsuits
byeachhouseorjointinterventionbybothhousesoftheGeneral
Assemblyarespecifiedinthebillandincludehowpublicfundsmay
beuseduponappropriation. Interventionofrightdoesnotwaive
thelegislativeimmunityorlegislativeprivilegeofanymember,
officer,orstaffoftheGeneralAssembly(Section1).
ThisbillissimilartoHB2113(2022)andHB738Reperfected
(2021).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthebillincludesmanynecessary
electionsecurityandefficiencymeasures. Manyprovisionsare
favoredbytheSecretaryofState'sofficeandlocalelection
authorities. Proceduralchangessuchasrequiring"airgapped"
technology,DepartmentofRevenueupdatingofvoterregistration
records,andtheuseofpaperballotswithexceptionsforvoters
thatneedassistancearelongstandingprioritiesforelection
reform.Allowingaddressupdatingonelectiondayis
technologically feasible. Thebillsponsoriscollaboratingwith
bothlocalelectionauthoritiesandtheSecretaryofState'soffice
onthebill. TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative McGaugh;KarenJean
Foster;ReneeSmola;ChristinaMarieMacormic;MargaretChristine
Yauas;BarbaraBranham;AmberCrawford;MatthewCrawford;Shane
Schoeller,CountyClerkofGreene,MissouriAssociationofCounty
ClerksandElectionAuthorities;andthe,SecureElectionsProject.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthelegislature
shouldmakethevotingprocessmoreaccessibleinsteadofrequiring
newformsofidentification inordertovote.Bothurbanandrural
needsshouldbeconsidered. Strictphotoidentification
requirementscouldpreventcastingofabsenteeballotsevenif
otherrestrictionssuchasreasonsforvotinganabsenteeballotin
personareremoved. Elderlyindividualsoftenhavedifficulty
gettingidentification andvoting.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereCarolSchatz;CherylRowland;
ChloeTelle;CindyAustin;DawnBanks;GeraldLWnorowski;JustinM
Lofquest;LinzelHam;LynnBusby;MaryannVanDenHul;SusanK
Moellering;SusanShumway;AliciaDEdwards;AmyJRavin;AmyKuo
Hammerman,NationalCouncilofJewishWomenSt.Louis;Angie
Dunlap,LeagueofWomenVotersofMetroSt.Louis;AnnieBernaix;
ArleneZarembka;BrianHicks;CameliaJohnson;CarolineFan,
MissouriAsianAmericanYouthFoundation;CarolynSueWalker;
CassandraButler;CheriCrockett;JewishCommunityRelations
CouncilofStLouis;DavidIBerland;DeborahJKitchen;Denise
Fattic;DonCrozier;DorothyRobertsArvizu;GettaR.Hall;
MissouriAFL-CIO;JamieElizabethHasemeier;Metropolitan
CongregationsUnited;JenniqualJohnson;JoanGentry;Madeline
Powers,Bc/IdProgramAtSfxCollegeChurch;ProChoiceMissouri;
MaryK.Lindsay;MelissaVatterott,MissouriCoalitionforthe
Environment;NancyDesloge;PhilipDeitch;RachelThompson;Riva
Capellari;SarahWright;SherryLBuchanan;StephenCMannSr;
SteveSkrainka;SusanDeanDee;SusanGibson;SusanRandolph;Tim
Mobley;ValerieLarm;YvetteKell;ScottRandolph;MarlaMarantz;
ArnieC.AcDienoff;NancySaccone;SusanDubois;NancyPrice;
SusanGibson;DorothyRobertsArvizu;JanetArcher,R&JArcher
PetroleumLLC;GaryVogt;CarolynSueWalker;WayneConradDean;
AdamKoertner;AlannaAhern;AmyKempf;AndreaGranger;Andrea
Shrum;AngelaFeye;AngieBonnot;AprilHeywood;AshleyMichelle
Higgs;AshleyTwellman;AshtonKuehnel,SierraClub,Missouri
Chapter;BeckyWilliams;BonnotLen;CarolineRuthMueller;Caryn
Leljedal;Catherine;CatherineAnnMannell;CatherineRenne;
CathleenProtte;ChristyShelton;ConnieCombs;ConnieCombs;
CynthiaMuellerRice;DanielBretz;DanielleHopper;DavidLarson;
DavidNorris;DianeMarieRohde;DonCrozier;DonGrimm;Dorothy
Weiss;EvelynMaddox;GabrielDieckmann;GabrielleSmith;Gary&
BeckyRidenhour;GaryWilliams;GettaR.Hall;GinnyThomason;Hugh
Mackenzie;JaimeBretz;JaimeCheaney;JamesMartinMiller;Janet
Baker;JanetDavis;JanetDeidrick;JanetHennessey;JenBarker; JenniferEngel;JenniferVogt;JeremyPestka;JessicaGrimm;
JessicaPierce;JimmieJ.Rice;JoanSturm;JobethEffertz;Johanna
Beaudean;JonathanCox;JosephDCravens;JuliaJansma;Julia
Lesinski;JuliaNorth;JulieBoerner;JulieStutko;JulieStutko;
JustinSavage;KarenGriggs;KathrynHammen;KathyPlace;Kimberly
Vance;KirbyPestka;LadawnEnke;LaneKramka;LeeGray;Lena
Williams;LindaCravens;LindaK.Smith;LindsayRapp;LisaHovis;
LisaMalan;LisaSteppelman;LoraYoung;MadelinePowers;MartyL
Neill;MaryMurphy;MaryannDuff;MattDeniszczuk;Megan
Mackenzieb6;MelissaThomas;MicahRoberts;Michael;Michelle
Brandt;MichelleCohen;MichelleHolland;NancyPrice;Nedra
Hoover;NeliaAubuchon;NickiKrsul;NoahYoung;PatriciaALucido;
PaulDawson;PaulaHardin;PhyllisArnett;RandyDotsonJr;Rebecca
AnnePorter;RebeccaRichards;RebekahRoberts;RitaFrench;Robert
Ohlrich;RosenerBryan;SandraDawson;SarahReeves;Selma
Dizdarevic;SharonMontgomery;ShawnKaiser;SherryNeill;
StephanieDiestelkamp;StephenMStutko;SusanKrupa;Susanne
Boehm;TanyaLankford;TeresaMcBride;TerriDubinski;TerriPlank;
TiffanyWard;TimothyBrockelbank;TimothyHead;TjLukens;Tom
Krsul;TrudyBrandt;VesnaMoll;VirginiaHollingsworth; WendyA.
Wisniewski;WilliamAYoung;JulieAllen,MissouriNAACP;AllisonM
Nickolai;AndyJohnson;AngelaMcreynolds;BethDoney;Cynthia
Hoffmeister;DavidWahby;DelmmarK.Mills;DeniseD.Lieberman,
MissouriVoterProtectionCoalition;E.EugeneCamfield;Elane
Moonier;ElizabethFranklin;GaryFarrar;GenniferMonteer;Getta
R.Hall;JamesRoyTurner;JaneScheckel;JanelleSjue;Janfarrar;
JasonAmberson;JeanThurman;JenniferBoren;JeremyBevans;Joshua
Lehman;JudiGambino;KathleenWahby;KayGant;KimPenrod;Kirby
Kraft;LindaMroz;LoriStaub;MarieMcCracken;MarshaLerenberg;
MaryCCamfield;MaryCremer;MaryTrelaor;MelissaDohleman;
MichaelThurman;NancyDanner;NancyDianeLow;PamelaK.Grow;
PatriciaWilliams;PaulaJuelich;RachelDeckerd;RachelPoston;
RalphRaySchell;RichardHoman;RichardSwartz;RobbynKempf;
RodneyDFarthing;SaraBohnert;ShaneGrasser;ShellyLane;Sheryl
Rose;SusanBush;TamaraPalisch;TammyStarkThompson;Thomas
Gannon;ArnieC.AcDienoff;CarolynDell;ClovisDelwiche;Dan
Sexson;DeborahPrice;JenniferHunt;KimGSwartz;LindaRezny;
MargaretMLoyet;MaryK.Lindsay;MichaelGrant;ToniUngerman;
AmberO’Rear;AmyNoble;AngeliqueChaverri;BarbraLWhittington;
CarolPitzer;DarcyLilley;DebbieDoney;DeidreBrown;Gerald
Burmeister;GuyFisher;JaneBurmeister;JerryWBlevins;Jonathan
Adams;JudySofka,MissouriPrecinctProject/MOPP;KathrynBerg;
KathrynSSchoeck;KelleyMcDonald;LisaWeinbaum;MaryHaley;
MollyMeyer;PeterGoebel;RachelAnnFisher;SamuelE.Cutrell;
ScottGrover;TeresaSimpson;TeresaStone;BernadetteWinkler;
BillieJoScobee;CarolAnnMaune;CarolOrphan;CathyWooldridge;
ChristineMerli;CurtSaitta;CynthiaNuspl;DeannaRhodes-Widmer;
DebbiePetersen;DeborahMahew;DeborahWagner;DebraBrumit;Diane
JNeff;DonnaMarieHanley;FoglianiBeverly;GarrettCoffey;Janet Schiwitz;JeffBono;JeremyJosephScott;JohnScobee;JudyK
Brown;KathyIrvin;LauraRiley;LindaStewart;LoriBourgeois;
MarkRickmeyer;MaryWhitby;MelindaMaucelli;MelissaJohnson;
RachelBourgeois;RobertBourgeois;RobertBourgeoisJr;Sallye
Fagala;SandyBourgeois;ShariseKing;ShariseMeyer;SusanGloss;
SusanWarner;TerriWilliams;ValerieFargas;WendyMelrose;AARP;
ConcernedWomenforAmericaofMissouri;LauraHausladen;Jeff
Smith,AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion;DonnitaPatterson-Brown,
PulaskiCountyBranchNAACP;SarahAndrus;CynthiaJones;Cynthia
Leech;RachelSilvers;WendyNenninger;CarlaMann;andSharon
Jackson.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythatmanyprovisionsin
HB2113couldbeincludedinHB2140.TheSecretaryofState
shouldhaveauditpowertoensurepropervoterlistmaintenanceby
localelectionauthorities. Theprocessforcastingballotsis
definedinthebilltotreatallvotersequally. Aprohibitionon
thirdpartyfilling-inandsubmissionofballotapplicationswill
reducevoterconfusion.
TestifyingonthebillwereTrishVincent,SecretaryofState;Eric
Fey,St.LouisCountyElectionBoard;andRickStream,St.Louis
CountyElectionBoard.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.