View Scorecard for Year
Grade TL;DR
In 2022, Missouri passed H 1878, an omnibus elections bill, which included both pro-voter and anti-voter initiatives. The pro-voter and anti-voter initiatives passed were both notable. The determination to give Missouri a C+ on this year’s scorecard is based on the omnibus bill, along with the fact that Missouri, which could have been much more unfriendly for voting rights, did not pass purely detrimental anti-voter bills in 2021.
Looking Back
Where Missouri Started in 2020
- Automatic Voter Registration: No
- Online Voter Registration: Open to all Eligible
- Same-Day Registration: No
- Restoration of Rights: Parole and/or Probation Disenfranchisement
- Vote by Mail: Excuse-Only
- Electronic Registration Information Center Member: Yes
- Early Voting Opportunities: In-Person Absentee
- ID Requirements: Strict Photo ID
Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Missouri as of 2020, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2021-22 activity against other bottom tier states.
How Our Tier Compares:
2021: Two Years Ago
Legislative Action
The Missouri Legislature did not pass any election-related laws during the 2021 session.
2022: This Past Year
Legislative Action
The General Assembly introduced more than 50 election-related bills during the 2022 session, most of which were anti-voter or included anti-voter provisions. In the final days of session, the Assembly managed to pass an omnibus bill, H 1878, which contained both pro-voter and anti-voter provisions, many of which had been considered — but not adopted — in the 2021 legislative session.
- H 1878 establishes an early voting process that allows all eligible voters to cast an early vote in person starting the second Tuesday before the election.
- H 1878 requires the DMV to use secure electronic transfer to electronically transmit voter registration information from the DMV to local election authorities.
- H 1878 protects non-citizens from accidentally registering to vote. Individuals that provide the DMV with documents indicating non-citizenship are not provided the opportunity to register to vote.
- H 1878 revises existing voter ID provisions to require all voters to show ID or cast a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot will be counted as long as the voter’s signature matches the one on file or if the voter returns with valid ID before the polls close.
- H 1878 expressly prohibits drop boxes for absentee ballot returns and prohibits all vote by mail elections, including through executive order or administrative action.
- H 1878 prohibits the state and its political subdivisions from accepting private funds for elections.