- Perfected -

SS/SCS/SB 675 - This act modifies numerous election law provisions.

COPYING FEES - (Section 28.160) - This act revises the amount that can be charged for services rendered by the secretary of state.

MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES - (Section 71.005) - The act prohibits any person from being a candidate for municipal office if such person has failed to pay municipal taxes or user fees.

DEFINITIONS - (Section 115.013) - The act modifies definitions for ballot, electronic voting system, and municipality.

BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS - (Section 115.027) - Members of the Board from the major political party which is not the political party of the Governor shall be appointed by the governor from names submitted by the state party committee. In jurisdictions with a board of election commissioners, a non-voting representative from each major political party can be appointed by the Governor to participate in discussions of the board.

PROPORTIONAL COSTS - (Section 115.062) - The state must, as soon as practicable, pay its proportional costs to election authorities.

GRANT PROGRAMS- The act sets up a number of grant programs, some of which are subject to appropriation from federal funds:

-Election equipment upgrades with priority to jurisdictions with the highest number of residents below the poverty level (115.074);

-Improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities (115.076);

-Increasing the compensation of election judges (Section 115.098);

-Youth voting programs (Section 115.801); and a program to allow election authorities to receive federal grants (Section 115.803).

ELECTION JUDGES - The act changes the number of election judges needed for primary and general elections and non-primary and non- general elections. No party shall have a majority of judges at a polling place. An election authority may appoint judges from other established parties and non-affiliated judges. Any decision shall be made by the major political party judges (Section 115.081).

-In jurisdictions without a board of election commissioners, the parties may submit names of judges to the election authority. County clerks can make the decisions on judges if the clerk serves as the election authority (Section 115.087).

-The act allows boards of election commissioners to compile lists of non-partisan judges (Section 115.089).

-Provisions are included to ensure that no party has a majority of judges (Sections 115.095, 115.097 and 115.099).

EMPLOYEE PROTECTION - (Section 115.102) - Prohibits adverse action against employee by employer for the employee serving as election judge.

TIME OF ELECTIONS - (Section 115.123) - Expands election days in June and August.

ADVANCED VOTING - (Section 115.126) - Election authorities shall establish an advance voting system for use in presidential election years. Voting begins 14 days before election. The polls may be open on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

INCAPACITATED PERSONS - (Section 115.133) - Technical change so that persons adjudged incapacitated cannot register to vote.

REGISTRATION - (Sections 115.135 and 115.137) - Technical changes to require person to be registered in jurisdiction where voting.

VOTER REGISTRATION AGENCIES - (Sections 115.151, 115.160, 115.162) - Voter registration agencies are required to transmit all voter registration applications to the appropriate election authority within five business days.

VOTER INFORMATION - (Section 115.157) - Certain individuals are exempted from the public disclosure of their residential addresses.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS - (Section 115.159) - A person cannot vote by absentee ballot until after first voting in person with proper identification, with some exceptions. Persons responsible for the care of incapacitated persons may vote by absentee ballot (Sections 115.277, 115. 283). Applications for ballot can be made by fax (Section 115.279). Certain relatives can deliver and return ballots (Section 115.287). Overseas federal personnel can send ballot by fax (Section 115.291).

VOTER CANVASSING - (Sections 115.163, 115.179) - Allows election authority to use postal service to identify incorrect addresses and canvass voters. Before removing a voter from the registration records, a confirmation notice must be sent to the voter's corrected address as identified by the National Change of Address program.

DECEASED, FELONS, INCAPACITATED PERSONS - (Section 115.195) - The Secretary of State is responsible for obtaining monthly information on deceased persons, new felons, and newly adjudged incapacitated persons and submitting that information to election authorities.

COMPUTERIZED VOTING SYSTEMS - (Section 115.225) - The secretary of state shall promulgate rules to allow the use of computerized voting systems. The act makes technical changes to electronic voting laws (Sections 115.233, 115.237).

INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS - (Section 115.409) - Allows registered international observers to be admitted to polling place.

VOTER INSTRUCTIONS - (Section 115.417) - Voter instructions of a certain size must be posted at each polling place. The Secretary of State can develop multi-lingual voting instructions.

BUTTERFLY BALLOTS - (Section 115.420) - Butterfly ballots are prohibited unless approval is granted by the Secretary of State. The Secretary must act on requests within two business days.

VOTER IDENTIFICATION - (Section 115.427) - Before voting, a person must show an approved form of personal identification issued by some government agency or Missouri post-secondary school. Personal knowledge of the voter by two supervisory election judges is acceptable voter identification.

VOTING PROCEDURES - Provides that the election authority or circuit court won't allow a person to vote unless the person has complied with all registration requirements (Section 115.429). Technical changes to procedure for initialing of ballot by judges (Section 115.433). The Secretary of State must approve form of sticker used on ballot (Section 115.439). Technical change to ballot retention statute (Section 115.493).

VOTER INTENT - (Section 115.453) - Election judges will no longer count ballots based on the voter's intent.

POLITICAL PARTY COMMITTEES - (Section 115.613) - No election will be held if only one candidate for committeeman in a district files prior to the deadline.

SECRETARY OF STATE POWERS - (Section 115.645) -Upon a judicial determination of probable cause, the Secretary is given power to investigate election law violations. The Secretary may request the Attorney General to apply to a circuit judge to issue a subpoena to any witness. The Attorney General will cooperate with any such investigation. Restrictions made on Secretary's ability to investigate when it may affect outcome of election. No subpoena will be issued until after the counting of all ballots and the posting of the election results. The Secretary has the power to subpoena records closed under the sunshine law.

PROVISIONAL VOTING - (Section 1) - The act establishes a system of provisional voting in cases where the eligibility of a voter cannot be immediately established. The system only applies to primary and general elections where candidates and federal offices are nominated or elected and elections where statewide issues are submitted to the voters.

JIM ERTLE