Governor Jay Nixon vetoed SB 3, the republican sponsored vote suppression/voter ID bill. Governor Nixon’s veto letter [pdf]:
[….]
June 17, 2011
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI
Herwith I return to you House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 entitled:
AN ACT
To repeal section 115.427, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to elections, with contingent effective date.
I disapprove of House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3. My reasons for disapproval are as follows:
Pending approval of a constitutional amendment, House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 would require a government-issued photo identification to vote. This new mandate would disproportionately impact senior citizen and persons with disabilities, among others, who are qualified to vote and have been lawfully voting since becoming eligible to do so, but are less likely to have a driver’s license or government-issued photo ID. Disenfranchising certain classes of persons is not acceptable.
House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 imposes unnecessary burdens on senior citizens and persons with disabilities, for example, who do not have a government-issued photo ID, with no guarantee that, in the end, their vote will count. House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 first requires them to execute a legally-binding affidavit explaining why they lack a government-issued photo ID. After executing the affidavit, the senior citizen, person with a disability and anyone else who lacks a government-issued photo ID for the reason identified in the affidavit is not permitted to cast a regular ballot and is instead given a provisional ballot. Even after meeting these requirements mandated by House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3, their vote would not be counted unless the election authority compares their signature on the affidavit with their signature on file – a signature that may bear little resemblance to their current signature because it was written decades before – and determines that the two signatures match. Placing a cloud of uncertainty over ballots cast by qualified voters is inconsistent with an individual’s right to vote and have that vote counted. In addition, for those citizens wanting to avoid the uncertainty of a provisional ballot, House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 would require them to navigate a costly and time-consuming process to obtain a government-issued photo ID. House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 does not meet my approval, because it is unacceptable to impede or discourage citizens from voting who have lawfully cast ballots their entire adult lives.
In accordance with the reasons for disapproval stated above, I am returning House Committee Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill No. 3 with my approval.
Respectfully submitted,
s/
Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon
Governor
[emphasis added]
“…imposes unnecessary burdens on senior citizens and persons with disabilities, for example, who do not have a government-issued photo ID, with no guarantee that, in the end, their vote will count…”
Ah, yes, the provisional ballot.
“…first requires them to execute a legally-binding affidavit explaining why they lack a government-issued photo ID…”
Right, that should go over really well with the black helicopter crowd. You know, the republican base. What were they thinking?
“…their vote would not be counted unless the election authority compares their signature on the affidavit with their signature on file – a signature that may bear little resemblance to their current signature because it was written decades before – and determines that the two signatures match…”
Because we all know that county election authorities across the State of Missouri are handwriting experts.
from time to time. This is the best evidence that any Democrat is better than no Democrat.
Standing up for the people. All of the people! This particular issue is really a big (insert Biden descriptor here) deal that has not gotten the attention that it deserves, until the veto. Excuse me for stating the obvious here, but the issue is as basic and as important as it gets, to the rights of all American citizens. If the republican corporate water carriers are successful in this attempt to remove the legal right to vote from any part of our society, it diminishes all parts of our society. I appreciate that Governor Nixon said, NO! to SB-3. It is nice to know that he is not a member of the chicken shit wing of the Democratic Party.