EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1480
102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR EIGEL.
5919S.02I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal sections 115.105, 115.121, 115.123, 115.341, 115.351, 115.776, and 115.904, RSMo,
and to enact in lieu thereof fifteen new sections relating to primary elections, with an
effective date.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 115.105, 115.121, 115.123, 115.341, 1
115.351, 115.776, and 115.904, RSM o, are repealed and fifteen 2
new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 3
115.105, 115.121, 115.123, 115.341, 115.351, 115.755, 115.758, 4
115.761, 115.765, 115.767, 115.770, 115.773, 115.776, 115.785, 5
and 115.904, to read as follows:6
115.105. 1. The chair of the county committee of each 1
political party named on the ballot shall have the right to 2
designate a challenger for each polling place, who may be 3
present until all ballots are cast on the day of election, 4
and a challenger for each location at which absentee ballots 5
are counted, who may be present while the ballots are being 6
prepared for counting and counted. No later than four 7
business days before the election, the chair of each county 8
committee of each political party na med on the ballot shall 9
provide signed official designation forms with the names of 10
the designated challengers and substitutes to the local 11
election authority for confirmation of eligibility to serve 12
as a challenger. The local election authority, afte r 13
verifying the eligibility of each designated and substitute 14 SB 1480 2
challenger, shall sign off on the official designation 15
forms, unless the challenger is found not to have the 16
qualifications established by subsection 4 of this section. 17
If the election authority determines that a challenger does 18
not meet the qualifications of subsection 4 of this section, 19
the designating party chair may designate a replacement 20
challenger and provide the local election authority with the 21
name of the replacement challenge r before 5:00 p.m. of the 22
Monday preceding the election. The designating chair may 23
substitute challengers at his or her discretion during such 24
hours. 25
2. Challenges may only be made when the challenger 26
believes the election laws of this state hav e been or will 27
be violated, and each challenger shall report any such 28
belief to the election judges, or to the election authority 29
if not satisfied with the decision of the election judges. 30
3. Prior to the close of the polls, challengers may 31
list and give out the names of those who have voted. The 32
listing and giving out of names of those who have voted by a 33
challenger shall not be considered giving information 34
tending to show the state of the count. 35
4. In a presidential primary election, challengers may 36
collect information about the party ballot selected by the 37
voter and may disclose party affiliation information after 38
the polls close. 39
5. All persons selected as challengers shall have the 40
same qualifications required by section 1 15.085 for election 41
judges, except that such challenger shall be a registered 42
voter in the jurisdiction of the election authority for 43
which the challenger is designated as a challenger. 44
[5.] 6. Any challenge by a challenger to a voter's 45
identification for validity shall be made only to the 46 SB 1480 3
election judges or other election authority. If the poll 47
challenger is not satisfied with the decision of the 48
election judges, then he or she may report his or her belief 49
that the election laws of this stat e have been or will be 50
violated to the election authority as allowed under this 51
section. 52
115.121. 1. The general election day shall be the 1
first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even - 2
numbered years. 3
2. The primary election day shall be the first Tuesday 4
after the first Monday in [August] February of even-numbered 5
years. 6
3. The election day for the election of political 7
subdivision and special district officers shall be the first 8
Tuesday after the first M onday in April each year, and shall 9
be known as the general municipal election day. 10
115.123. 1. All public elections shall be held on 1
Tuesday. Except as provided in subsection 2 of this 2
section, and section 247.180, all public elec tions shall be 3
held on the general election day, the primary election day, 4
the general municipal election day, the first Tuesday after 5
the first Monday in November, or on another day expressly 6
provided by city or county charter, and in nonprimary years 7
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in [August] 8
February. Bond elections may be held on the first Tuesday 9
after the first Monday in February but no other issue shall 10
be included on the ballot for such election. 11
2. Notwithstanding the pr ovisions of subsection 1 of 12
this section to the contrary, an election for a presidential 13
primary held under sections 115.755 to 115.785 shall be held 14
on the first Tuesday in February of each presidential 15
election year. 16 SB 1480 4
3. The following elections shall be exempt from the 17
provisions of subsection 1 of this section: 18
(1) Bond elections necessitated by fire, vandalism or 19
natural disaster; 20
(2) Elections for which ownership of real property is 21
required by law for voting; 22
(3) Special elections to fill vacancies and to decide 23
tie votes or election contests; and 24
(4) Tax elections necessitated by a financial hardship 25
due to a five percent or greater decline in per -pupil state 26
revenue to a school district from the previous year. 27
[3.] 4. Nothing in this section prohibits a charter 28
city or county from having its primary election in March if 29
the charter provided for a March primary before August 28, 30
1999. 31
[4.] 5. Nothing in this section shall prohibit 32
elections held pursuant to section 65.600, but no other 33
issues shall be on the March ballot except pursuant to this 34
chapter. 35
115.341. For the nomination of candidates to be 1
elected at the next general election, a primary election 2
shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 3
[August] February of even-numbered years. 4
115.351. No person who files as a party candidate for 1
nomination or election to an office shall, without 2
withdrawing, file as another party's candida te or an 3
independent candidate for nomination or election to the 4
office for the same term. No person who files as an 5
independent candidate for election to an office shall, 6
without withdrawing, file as a party candidate for 7
nomination or election to t he office for the same term. No 8
person shall file for one office and, without withdrawing, 9 SB 1480 5
file for another office to be filled at the same election. 10
A person who files a request to be included on the 11
presidential primary ballot is not prohibited by this 12
section from filing or appearing on any ballot as a party 13
candidate for nomination to another office. Receipt by the 14
secretary of state of proper certification of nomination 15
pursuant to subsection 1 of section 115.399 constitutes 16
withdrawal by operation of law pursuant to subsection 1 of 17
section 115.359 of any presidential or vice presidential 18
nominee from any other office for which such nominee is a 19
candidate at the same election. Any person violating any 20
provision of this section shall be disqualified from running 21
for nomination or election to any office at the primary and 22
general election next succeeding the violation. 23
115.755. A statewide presidential preference primary 1
shall be held on the first Tuesday in February of each 2
presidential election year. 3
115.758. On or before the tenth Tuesday prior to the 1
date of the presidential preference primary, the secretary 2
of state shall announce the official list of presidential 3
candidates for each estab lished political party as provided 4
in section 115.761. 5
115.761. 1. The official list of presidential 1
candidates for each established political party shall 2
include the names of all constitutionally qualified 3
candidates for whom, on or after 8:00 a.m. on the fifteenth 4
Tuesday prior to the presidential primary, and on or before 5
5:00 p.m., on the eleventh Tuesday prior to the presidential 6
primary, a written request to be included on the 7
presidential primary ballot is filed with the secretary of 8
state along with: 9 SB 1480 6
(1) Receipt of payment to the state committee of the 10
established political party on whose ballot the candidate 11
wishes to appear of a filing fee of five thousand dollars; or 12
(2) A written statement, sworn to bef ore an officer 13
authorized by law to administer oaths, that the candidate is 14
unable to pay the filing fee and does not have funds in a 15
campaign fund or committee to pay the filing fee and a 16
petition signed by not less than five thousand registered 17
Missouri voters, as determined by the secretary of state, 18
that the candidate's name be placed on the ballot of the 19
specified established political party for the presidential 20
preference primary. The request to be included on the 21
presidential primary ballot shall include each signer's 22
printed name, registered address, and signature and shall be 23
in substantially the following form: 24
2. The state or national party organization of an 30
established political p arty that adopts rules imposing 31
signature requirements to be met before a candidate can be 32
listed as an official candidate shall notify the secretary 33
of state by October first of the year preceding the 34
presidential primary. 35
3. Any candidate or such candidate's authorized 36
representative may have such candidate's name stricken from 37
the presidential primary ballot by filing with the secretary 38
of state on or before 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh Tuesday 39
prior to the presidential primary election a writ ten 40
25
26
27
28
29
I (We) the undersigned, do hereby request that the
name of ______ be placed upon the Feb ruary ______,
______, presidential primary ballot as candidate
for nomination as the nominee for President of the
United States on the ______ party ticket.
SB 1480 7
statement, sworn to before an officer authorized by law to 41
administer oaths, requesting that such candidate's name not 42
be printed on the official primary ballot. Thereafter, the 43
secretary of state shall not include the name of that 44
candidate in the official list announced pursuant to section 45
115.758 or in the certified list of candidates transmitted 46
pursuant to section 115.765. 47
4. The filing times set out in this section shall only 48
apply to presidential preference primaries, and are in li eu 49
of those established in section 115.349. 50
115.765. On or before the tenth Tuesday prior to a 1
presidential preference primary, the secretary of state 2
shall transmit to each election authority a certified list 3
containing the names of all candidates whose names shall 4
appear on the presidential preference primary ballot of each 5
party. The names of the candidates shall appear in the 6
order in which their request to be included on the 7
presidential primary ballot was received in the office of 8
the secretary of state, except that, in the case of 9
candidates who file a request to be included on the 10
presidential primary ballot with the secretary of state 11
prior to 5:00 p.m. on the first day for filing, the 12
secretary of state shall det ermine by random drawing the 13
order in which such candidates' names shall appear on the 14
ballot. The drawing shall be conducted so that each 15
candidate, or candidate's representative, may draw a number 16
at random at the time of filing. The secretary of state 17
shall record the number drawn with the candidate's request 18
to be included on the presidential primary ballot. The 19
names of candidates filing on the first day for filing on 20
each party ballot shall be listed in ascending order of the 21
numbers so drawn. 22 SB 1480 8
115.767. Each election authority shall cause the name 1
of candidates certified by the secretary of state to appear 2
on the presidential preference primary ballot of each party, 3
followed by a listing for an uncommitted vote. 4
115.770. The conduct of the presidential preference 1
primary election and the count and canvass of the votes cast 2
therein shall conform as nearly as is practicable to that 3
prescribed for the conduct of the primary election for state 4
officers. All primary election laws not inconsistent with 5
the provisions of sections 115.750 to 115.785 shall be 6
applicable to the conduct of this election, and the form of 7
the ballot insofar as is practicable shall be substantially 8
as that prescribed by section 115.395. In a presidential 9
preference primary, each voter shall be entitled to receive 10
the ballot of one and only one established political party, 11
designated by the voter before receiving such voter's 12
ballot. Each voter who participates in a presidential 13
preference primary shall be entitled to vote on all 14
questions and for any candidates submitted by political 15
subdivisions and special districts at the general municipal 16
election. Each voter who does not wish to participate in a 17
presidential preference primary may vote on all questions 18
and for any candidates submitted by a political subdivision 19
or special district. 20
115.773. After the count and canvass of the votes 1
cast, the secretary of state shall notify the sta te chair of 2
each of the established political parties for whom a 3
candidate was listed of the number of votes recorded in that 4
established political party's primary that each candidate 5
and uncommitted listing received. 6
115.776. The state party organization which is the 1
state organization recognized by the national organization 2 SB 1480 9
of that established political party shall, after the primary 3
and before the national convention, conduct a series of 4
caucuses culminating in congressional a nd state conventions 5
[for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the president 6
of the United States ]. Delegates to the national 7
conventions shall be chosen at the congressional district 8
and state conventions pursuant to rules established by the 9
political parties. 10
115.785. All costs of a presidential preference 1
primary shall be paid by the state, except that, pursuant to 2
section 115.065, costs shall be shared proportionately by 3
the state and any political subdivisions and spec ial 4
districts holding an election on the same day as any such 5
primary. For any county with more than five hundred polling 6
places, the state shall assist in assuring adequate poll 7
workers and equipment. 8
115.904. The voting procedure s in sections 115.900 to 1
115.936 shall apply to: 2
(1) A general, special, presidential preference, or 3
primary election for federal office; 4
(2) A general, special, or primary election for 5
statewide or state legislative office or state ballot 6
measure; or 7
(3) Any election in which absentee voting is conducted 8
pursuant to sections 115.275 to 115.304. 9
Section B. Section A of this act shall become 1
effective January 1, 2025. 2