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Tag Archives: voter suppression

Mark Alford (r): gone fishin’

14 Tuesday Jul 2026

Posted by Michael Bersin in Mark Alford, social media

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4th Congressional District, Fascist pig, Mark Alford, missouri, right wingnut, social media, sycophant, that ridiculous hat, Trump sycophant, voter suppression, Your papers please

Mark Alford (r) [2022 file photo].

This morning:

Congressman Mark Alford
[July 14, 2026]

The fight for the SAVE America Act isn’t over.
Protecting our elections starts with common-sense measures like voter ID and proof of citizenship, because only Americans should decide America’s future.
[….]

Some of the responses:

You don’t have to have a passport to be a US citizen. When I renew my passport every ten years, that is an unnecessary hassle. Last time I drove to Hot Springs AR and got it done in one day. There is not very much election fraud in the US, there is more noise about election fraud by Republicans to keep the Epstein files out of the news cycle. What is sad that another country is going to be the one to release the Epstein files.

The congressman asks:
“Why would anyone be against that”. I’m going to answer for you all, now.
The Save Act cannot be a law and either Alford knows this, or he rightly should be shamed for this level of rank incompetence. In either case, it is an unforgivable breach of the public trust places in the seat that has been the voice of West Central Missouri for over 100 years.
Here are the facts:
In 2013, the Supreme court decided the case of Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (570 U.S. 1). In that ruling, Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion clarifying the Qualifications and the Elections clauses stating, and I quote:
​”The Elections Clause empowers Congress to regulate how federal elections are held, but not who may vote in them.”
And then, just to make sure you know, he backed it up with the hammer:
​”Prescribing voting qualifications is the ‘States’ exclusive prerogative’ under the Constitution.”
If Alford or any MAGA party leader was at all serious about this, they would be making the case with proof of illegitimate voting in the most recent elections where the MAGA party secured unified government control. They would then easily be able to get the 2/3 majority vote in both houses that a constitutional amendment requires.
Instead Alford is pushing this fantasy test-bill that would immediately be knocked down by the Supremes. And for what? It’s a fantasy that Alford and the entire MAGA party is wallowing in, and it’s frankly boring and pathetic.

You’re over.

Alford admitted the same at his coffee meeting in Raymore. He mentioned 1 incident where a dead person received a ballot in the mail in, drumroll please, California. He is aware of the data proof yet online is a different story.

Hey Mark, how many non citizens voted in the last 30 years worth of presidential elections?

Was your election legitimate without the save act?

try doing something productive. health care, for example.

Can you please provide documented and vetted evidence of the election fraud and corruption this act will target? How rampant is the problem?

They can’t

What part of – ONLY U.S. CITIZENS ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS – don’t you understand Mr. Alford ?? !

You didn’t object to your win, did you Mark Alford.

Funny how the party that is currently in control of the govern is screaming about election fraud.

Under the SAVE Act, you cannot use your driver’s license to register to vote,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said March 19 on X. “Republicans want you to buy a passport instead. If you can afford one. This is a modern-day poll tax.”

Its a poll tax. Its over

Putz.

Congressman Mark Alford, by insisting that U.S. elections have Not been secure you are implying that the only reason Republicans have won the majority in Congress and the White House is because the elections were rigged for Republicans to win.
Which is it, Congressman: are U.S. elections secure or did Republicans rig the elections so they win???

You control all three branches of government by winning elections. How in world can you cry foul? If elections are so bad, then how did you ever get elected? Take your time, just explain this, we are all waiting.

No, Americans do not want the SAVE TRUMP’S ASS voter suppression bill. You just don’t want to look for a real job come November.

Tell me you hate women without telling me that you hate women.

Are you really this stupid?

Yes. This has been another edition of Short Answers to Simple Questions.

If there is widespread voter fraud by Democrats, why does the GOP control the Presidency and both houses of Congress?! That really doesn’t sound like a Democrat master plan.

If the election process is failed then you and everyone else in office up to the White House are not in office rightfully

This bullshit bill is dead. Give it a rest already maybe pull your head out of trumps ass and actually do your job for once sleepy mark.

Why didn’t you appeal your own win congressman if the system is broken and rigged you can’t be legit ? No one can ever anwser that

Is your job up at mid terms Alford? Cause you’re pretty much out of touch with the real world.

Shut up. Just shut up. Multiple studies, investigations and ridiculous lawsuits have tried and FAILED to find any voter fraud. Fewer than 30 cases of people voting when they shouldn’t have. And a couple of those were REPUBLICANS FAKING RESIDENCY. So Shut Up Piggy.

mark alford is working hard to suppress your vote
Only a minuscule amount (0.00000764%) of the vote was found to be fraudulent per the conservative heritage foundation
mark is making up unreal problems while ignoring the real ones
mark is delusional from wearing orange tinted glasses

TRUMP-LICKING, VOTER SUPPRESSING, MAGA NAZI ASSCLOWN

Stop trying to deny legally eligible people their voting rights
For someone who has something to say about everything, you won’t admit the so called save act will cause women to be denied their vote.
That is ridiculous and you know it. Just because Trump is always looking for ways to cheat doesn’t mean you have to go against 4th district residents!

Nobody is too dumb to get the id they need. It’s just we shouldn’t have to go through hoops to do so. Nobody is crying about ids except Republicans. In everything Republicans do to try to make sure they win is cheating. Gerrymandering. Hoping no one gets the paperwork they need to take to vote. The drama queens turn it around like people are too stupid to vote. But the truth is the people believing it and posting the lies about it are the ones that’s going to be the cheaters in any election. So when you’ve changed things and put your citizens through hoops to vote and you still lose….what are you gonna blame it on? If you win it’s great but when you lose someone rigged it. You guys are the only ones cheating and you know it.

FFS! Solution in search of a problem. You are a traitor to this country!!

It’s a poll tax and illegal. Abolish the electoral college that way every individual Americans vote would actually count. One Person. One Vote. A person would think that if these grifters had any good ideas, policies or any legislation whatsoever that would benefit all Americans that they would want everybody to vote. Apparently fear mongering, lying, cheating, stealing and always playing the victim doesn’t sell. Their disdain for the American people is on display every day.😎

Go fuck yourself

Are you really that immersed and right wing prop paganda , that you think we can’t see what’s going on?? Trump knows that he can’t win the next election without rigging the system. Ask per usual , trump’s accusations are actually confessions.

A non problem. Work on our country’s real problems, useless.

You mean the rig america act.

Only Americans do, liar.

Stop beating this dead horse. It’s not going to ever pass.

Mark Alford is a pathetic little tool promoting MAGAt lies. The so called SAVE act is just Trumpspeak for voter suppression. Non-citizens do not vote. They do work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy of our community.

Nothing to see here folks…. Just Mark trying to sell us on a voter suppression act…. Meanwhile no comment from Mark condemning the latest murder at the hands of ICE…. # do better Congressman Mark Alford

Fascists are all about election manipulation. Right before an important election you want to change the rules.

Yes, yes Mark we know you support voter suppression. It is very clear that you can’t win a free and fair election, and your elderly orange billionaire already said the quiet part out loud. He clearly told us in his speech that he needs the save act to game the system so that the Republicans will not lose for 100 years.
You are so anti-American and a traitor to our constitution.

Our elections are already secure. This bill is garbage.

Congressman Mark Alford this isn’t going to pass you idiot. Your wasting time on this much as you wasted on the Bad Bunny halftime show investigation. You’re worthless. FU 🖕

Mark Alford (r) [2023 file photo].

Just here for the ratio

17 Tuesday Mar 2026

Posted by Michael Bersin in Congress, Mark Alford, meta

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Tags

4th Congressional District, Fascist pig, former newsreader, Mark Alford, meta, right wingnut, social media, sycophant, that ridiculous hat, Trump sycophant, voter suppression

….When a post is ratioed, it usually means many people disagree with or dislike it. This shows others that the opinion or information is controversial or unpopular. For individuals or brands, a ratioed post can hurt their reputation, as it clearly shows that most people do not support it….

Mark Alford (r) [2025 file photo]

Today:

Congressman Mark Alford
[March 17, 2026]

No luck needed. Requiring proof of citizenship to vote is just common sense.
The SAVE America Act delivers the election integrity Americans demand. 🍀
[….]

Some of the responses:

Yessssssss..please keep making this the centerpiece of your election strategy Runty Ron Burgundy™!! The Save Act is a performative piece of legislation that is cynically being put forth with the full knowledge that it can never pass and is just an excuse you and every MAGA party politician is laying in advance of your historic wipeout. It’s pathetic. The Dems are going to be able to run a puss filled bag of socks against you and win.
By All.means, keep it up. If by some.. miracle, you crackers could get this to pass, all of us look forward to watching the Supremes ram it down the MAGA party’s throat, AGAIN. Sad.

Elections shouldn’t depend on relying only on men’s votes. There are way too many misogynists in this country (like you), to entrust that important duty to them alone.

Implementation of Real ID started in May 2005 in the US and we still have millions of people without it. I do not recall when Missouri started.
What was the purpose of Real ID if not to prove who was a citizen? We appear to have wasted millions of dollars and hours on it as we are now told a real ID cannot be used to prove citizenship or to register to vote.
You want voters to re-register by mid- September ? How can that work?
I had to make 2 trips to get a real ID. I had passports ( my official and tourist passports), military ID, birth certificate, civilian drivers license, voter ID card and three pieces mail sent to my home address. Address on Drivers license, mail and voter ID matched.
Problem. The pieces of mail , including one from DMV were ,”to old”. I should bring in a bill or a bank statement. I had to go to or contact the bank, water District, MFA and the Electrict Cooperative and switch to paper billing so I could have pieces of mail that I could use.
Other problem- birth certificate was old/ worn and the raised seal was no longer raised. However I had passports so I was good on that.
But now after living and voting from my current address for 25 years I need to bring in documents again to prove I am eligible to vote?

I’m sure you have evidence for why we need this act. Share it with us.

Sarcasm, probably.

Can you cite the election fraud rate in Missouri? In the US?

proof of citizenship won’t GUARANTEE no fraudulent votes.
In case you need to be told… and it sure looks like it… citizens are more likely to vote fraudulently than non- citizens.
So, explain to all of us – like we’re in kindergarten – that this will stop fraud.
Do you REALLY BELIEVE that if you’re a citizen, you won’t vote fraudulently?

No, no one can. All audits and studies by both sides show there is no fraud… it’s not a new issue. Anyone someone is OBVIOUSLY about to lose they pretend this is some kind of huge issue and invent something that they HOPE will only effect people they don’t like.

Why would we put extra burden on the voters for a tiny problem that can be solved by our government with voting registrations? How many people are you going to disenfranchise to fix a problem that in the scheme of things isn’t really a problem? It’s just a ploy to make it harder for people to vote. There are bigger issues congressman Mark Alford.

Solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. Show me where it has happened. Crickets

New laws shouldn’t be based on imaginary problems 🤡

especially since there are real issues they don’t WANT to fix – like out of control housing, medical, and childcare costs. The economic divide between ceos and their workers, rising costs across the board (which is going to get worse due to fuel costs).

Nah. I like married women and anyone else who’s gone through a name change being able to vote without going through a ton of extra bureaucratic idiocy.

Do men have to do this, no they do not. Some women may not have their documents handy for various reasons ( a natural disaster , a recent divorce, a college student living away, etc). Even moreover, they may not have the time to take off work to get these things &/or the $$$ to get paperwork or passport. If the govt. really wanted to they could /should make getting these documents free for those who need it to vote, but they aren’t going to help because it’s voter suppression. Statistically & ironically, red states will be affected more ( rural areas)- the votes they seek.

have voted for over 50 years. For the vast majority of those years there were no questions about election integrity. Then Trump and GOP realized that the minority population was growing faster than the white population. Ergo, elections are rigged and minorities need to be repressed. Ergo the Save Act. This is really a white supremacy act.

but they want you now to prove you was born here by showing the paper trail from birth to now if you have a name change. So those who were adopted, their parents just decided on a whim to change their name, got married, got divorced, remarried. ALL those documents that may be difficult to obtain .

none of this shit is gonna continue. This is just one of those fucking distractions from the Epstein files.

if this passes as proposed, you will now have to provide proof of citizenship as well.

==========

What is considered proof of citizenship?

For anyone who’s changed their name – a passport.

and they are going to give those away for free right?

No. This has been another edition of Short Answers to Simple Questions.

Document Passport Application Fee
Passport Book $130
Passport Card $30
Passport Book & Card $160

But all folks who have a REAL ID (which everyone should have by now) already did this. Why make another form of ID necessary?

exactly. It’s another hoop to jump through to solve a non-existent problem, to suppress the vote for a group (married women) who generally are not voting for the Republican party.

==========

Nope. Not if you don’t have the documents. Which cost money. That’s a poll tex.

you already have to show a drivers license. This will make it be a passport or birth certificate that matches your ID. For everyone who got married and changed their name… there’s a lot of women who won’t be able to vote.

Only 65% of eligible voters showed up at the polls in the last election. What in Gods name would motivate an undocumented immigrant to try to cast a ballot and risk committing a felony?

This.

[….] It is already the law that only citizens can vote. This bill does not prevent noncitizens from voting because they already don’t vote. The bill prevents millions of citizens from voting though, and moves control over voting from the states (as guaranteed in the constitution) to the federal government, so whatever the president says goes, like about who can or cannot vote, remember that his administration has already labeled democrats domestic terrorists and an illegitimate political party.
This is not freedom and liberty. He’s trying to be a dictator, control all future elections, and you are supporting that goal.

is the voter fraud in the room with us?

the constitution also says election are to be run by the states. Trump’s save act puts me he federal government in charge of elections

all of my legal documents and current also. I don’t have a passport. I’m not interested in spending 165.00 for a passport because My real id should be enough, it won’t be. If the thugs get this passed it will be knocking out millions of women but I think that’s their goal.

it’s a voter suppression bill.

This has nothing to do w intelligence 🤦‍♀️ why do y’all refuse to understand that? It is about time off work and money they don’t have to spare. Ever thought about someone being in a different circumstance than you? 🙄

What fraud are you talking about or are you just repeating the right wing lies, the only proven fraud in the last eight years is Trump’s fake electors scheme and they were pardoned by the guy who was committing the fraud, lol.

Hope you have a passport or didn’t change your name when you got married.

I jumped through all the hoops to get my Real ID as required. That should be enough!!!

How much does a passport cost?

Just because it was doable for you doesn’t mean it’s doable for others. Some people don’t have access to the documentation due to adoption or moving from a different state where you have to apply for the documentation in person and perhaps they’re too poor or they are disabled and they can’t travel to another state to get the documentation… 👏🏻 Just 👏🏻 because 👏🏻 something 👏🏻is 👏🏻easy 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 you 👏🏻does 👏🏻 not 👏🏻mean 👏🏻it’s 👏🏻easy 👏🏻for 👏🏻 everyone.

It wasn’t that easy to get a ‘real’ ID. In fact, the paperwork I took with me (everything they asked me for wasn’t good enough after I stood outside for 45 minutes in the rain) so I just got the regular ID, went back 4 years later and all that was needed was birth certificate, and death certificates. If the SAVE Act passes we have to make sure our name on our birth certificate matches our name on the marriage licenses. Somebody was really not thinking about the hoops women who married and took their spouses last name would have to jump through (again). It’s utter 🐂 💩. Mike Lee is a moron. Those women who think theirc’real ID’ will be proof enough didn’t read what the SAVE ACT does. It’s not just to screw liberal women over, it will screw republican women too. FAFO. I hope the Democrats can reject the SAVE ACT.

I agree with you. I know women who absolutely cannot get their birth certificate due to unusual circumstances that would take too long to explain here. So they won’t be able to vote. This act has removed their ability to vote.
I’m 1000% certain they actually did think about the ramifications this would make for women. Liberal women are the largest group that does not support Republicans. This is a backhanded way of voter suppression because they are making a barrier to vote. The barrier is not equally on men, the barrier is only on women. That is intentional.

Same. I tried several years ago to get a Real ID, and even though I had everything I was told I needed, the clerk denied it and said I needed more documents. I got the regular DL that day instead. I recently decided to try again for a Real ID to return to my maiden name because of the SAVE Act. It took some doing, money, and time, but I acquired every piece of paper that first clerk said I would need. I got my name changed with Social Security first. After I received my new SS card, I went to the DMV with my big envelope of documentation for a Real ID. This time, the clerk didn’t ask for some of the items the first clerk insisted I had to bring. I don’t know why. In the end, I got a Real ID that matches my birth certificate. It arrived in the mail yesterday. Some people will probably question why I didn’t have all the documents in my files. Well, I moved here from another state, and I have moved five times since then. Things happen, and a couple of items I thought I had weren’t there anymore. And in several cases, the documents I did have weren’t “official” enough for the DMV clerk because they didn’t have raised seals. So, I had to request and pay for new ones. So even if, in their arrogance, people are haughty enough to look down on those of us who might be missing a few documents, they’d better check their own files to make sure all of theirs have raised seals. Those birth certificate copies their mamas gave them might not help them if they have to re-register to vote.

Under the SAVE Act, Real ID would be sufficient proof of citizenship in exactly ZERO states.
If that is your form of ID, you will ALSO need to produce your birth certificate or your naturalization certificate.
And if your birth certificate does not match your legal name (due to marriage, for example)… you will ALSO need to provide your Marriage certificate (or other legal certificate of name change).
And if your Real ID/drivers license does not reflect your current legal name, you will need to renew your license with the updated name…and still bring your birth certificate and marriage certificate.

The projection here is palpable.

“Common sense” is not trying to fix a problem you don’t have.

Then roll out free and easily accessible ways to get id. If this were truly about ID and not concerned about the midterms that would be a part of the deal.

What’s common sense is looking beyond the surface level of anything a MAGA politician says and finding out what it’s really about

Our elections are accurate. The Republicans are just worried they’ll lose the midterms when women come out in force.

Way to work on fake problems 👍 They are easier to fix, because they aren’t even real.

No it doesnt. Its specifically set up so republican opponents have a harder time voting. Trump has even been quoted saying that if they get this passed, republicans would never lose again. Its not about election integrity. Its about rigging it for trumps cronies

Elections shouldn’t depend on poll taxes disguised as election integrity measures.

Due to gerry mandering, how do you factor “luck” into this?

So give every citizen their proof for free

Elections shouldn’t depend on corrected identification for married women or toting around my birth certificate or passport, either. Stop trying to handpick the universe of voters. Try pushing legislation that solves problems for all Americans, instead.

Except that this isn’t anything that’s promoted AND it places a poll tax (by not having a free option for voter ID) on it’s citizens.

Please pony up the funds for passports for every Missouri citizen then on YOUR dime. Oh and fast track the approval of them all.

Elections should not depend on voter suppression and gerrymandering!

Too late.

In other words you want a favorable result guaranteed. Yeah, no.

Oh, bless your heart.

a lot of people seem focused on their “safety” rather than their freedom. Lots of people make excuses to sacrifice their constitutional rights to feel like they are protected while losing their legitimate protections as a country and citizens from a power hungry government

What he’s not saying is that it will “fix” elections for his side to win.
It will stop more legitimate voters in a single precinct than all the illegitimate voters who have cast a ballot over the last 25 years.

And, how does a married woman who took her husband’s name use a birth certificate to prove she’s that person and OK to register? Agree with others: fixing a non-issue is a diversion to the real goals.

Elections also shouldn’t depend on voter suppression!

Too late.

Women shouldn’t have to do anything to vote that men don’t. This SAVE ACT is insane. I choose the Constitution!

I choose the Constitution.

Solution desperately seeking a problem?

Don’t forget about the women you represent. Do they all have passports? Have they all kept their maiden names?

Non-issue.
We already have election integrity.
The way to mess it up is to take the authority away from each state and give it to the federal government.

Hey Mark why don’t you put into the bill that the Government will pay for the required IDs to vote? Common sense

We all know the answer to that.

Making passports free????

Nope. It’s just voter suppression trying to disguise itself as election security. Fuck that.

According to the Heritage Foundation, they found about 1000 non-citizens who voted in all elections across the entire US in decades. You do the math and figure out whether it is worth creating problems for citizens to vote because of this.

The SAVE Act is not about voter ID. It’s about voter registration suppression and the federal government wanting our state voter rolls.

If a true assertion, then married men should also require an official birth certificate and/or valid passport.

if you move precincts or change parties or get ‘accidently’ knocked off the voter rolls, you have to re-register. The bill is to create chaos for a problem that does not exist at a significant level.

Poll tax.

How weird that liars want to say that existent voter registration is luck.

The Heritage Foundation found 68 cases of voter fraud since the 1980s.
68 out of billions of votes cast.
Let’s call this what it is…a poll tax to prevent women and minorities from voting.

You mean the voter suppression act?

Is it also a common sense to make it significantly more difficult for women to exercise the same voting right than it is for men?

Elections shouldn’t depend on one party trying to purge the other from the voting roles. Americans should be allowed to vote. You should make it easier, not harder and certainly it should not cost us money.

It attacks women and poor income citizens. Not everyone can afford a passport

You shouldn’t have to pay to vote

It is unconstitutional to make people pay a poll tax because they changed their last name to their husband! If you are a woman with your husband’s last name you need to buy a passport.

You show proof of citizenship when you register to vote. What you are suggesting is a poll tax which goes directly against our constitution. Not that ANY of you have read it.

Admit you’re just trying to suppress the vote.

Not every married woman has a passport. Passports cost money that some people don’t have in their budgets. $150-200 is a weeks worth of groceries for two people now that groceries are so high.

Show your proof of voter fraud. Specific instance of non American citizens voting. I’ll wait.

It is obvious that the SAVE ACT is a voter suppression act. Otherwise, why the rush to pass it and have it become law immediately? Could it be because republicans are afraid they will lose at the next election? Could you just be honest to your constituents for once in your life? Trump is afraid of what will happen if the Republicans lose the majority in Congress. We can see his fear by the amount of threats he is lodging against Republicans in Congress demanding that this act be passed. What is the rush???

Men taking the women’s vote again

And they try and convince you they are not a cult.

It’s an anti woman bill and a poll tax. Unconstitutional because they don’t want a drivers license. They want a birth certificate matching your last name and women, depending on number of name changes, will have to produce all that paperwork. It’s not free or easy or fast to acquire either.

Not an issue! Go fix problems we are really having. Struggling with affordable healthcare and housing, also a living wage to buy groceries for our families. Quit wasting our time on trying to enact a poll tax.

Then half of the US population won’t be able to vote

SAVE is the result of the scam started by the great cult leader when he lost. States already have methods of verifying citizenship, and illegal voting by noncitizens is very rare. The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank that supports the law, maintains a database of election fraud. The database contains 99 instances of ineligible voting by noncitizens since 1982!
The bill also threatens to disenfranchise eligible voters. Only about half the population holds a passport, and many do not have access to their birth certificate (which would not even be sufficient for a woman who changed her name at marriage).

Never! Voter suppression act!

Is it saving America, or is it just saving your asses from the midterms?

Poll Tax…

Election fraud is not an issue. Stop trying to make up reasons to disenfranchise women voters.

Let me explain it to the idiots who dont read the bill. If your name doesn’t match your birth certificate, you need something else that is approved to prove you are an American citizen. In these states a Real ID will work, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington. If you dont live in those states you will need to get a passport. That will cost about $200. That is a problem in today’s economy. This will hurt the married women, people who have changed their names, and the poor. It amounts to a poll tax which is illegal.

The SAVE Act has nothing to do with stopping voter fraud. It’s about stopping legal voters from casting their ballots, and ultimately laying the groundwork for Trump to block certification of any election results he doesn’t like, just like he tried to do on January 6, 2021. It’s voter suppression plain and simple.

No. Poll. Tax.
It’s illegal.

So when is he invading Cuba?

It’s a poll tax. Drivers licenses are not valid ID in the proposal so you need a passport or verified copy of a birth certificate both of which are costly. A passport is over $140. And if you changed your name (married women), you need verified copies of your marriage change of name from where you were married. Both costly and inconvenient for any women who moved. It is estimated that this affects 10% of all voters.
Reviews of 10 years of votes in Utah recently uncovered something like 20 illegally cast votes (only one by a non-citizen, the rest were out of district votes).
There are 1,600,000+ voters in Utah.
To weed out 2-3 voters this bill disenfranchises up to 150,000 voters. It is voter suppression (particularly women and poor), not security.

The SAVE act will only save fascists who want to restrict access to voting

Yeah and elections shouldn’t depend on this atrocity of a bill. Basically admitting if they pass the save they ass act it will disenfranchise voters. You go to vote as usual and upon giving your name you find out for some unexplained reason you aren’t registered as this bill also requires all states to turnover voter rolls and purge voter rolls every 30 days and not require notification. Now who carries their passport or birth certificate every day, causing frustration and causing the voter to just not vote. That is their plan for this voter suppression bill.

You can’t force pay to play for voting, you either need to accept that voter fraud isn’t a problem and abandon this farce or you need to make getting the required identification free with government programs in place to freely and readily commute citizens to the locations where they can get these and make it so that their employers must pay them while they’re doing so if they have to do it while they would otherwise be working. Anything less is a poll tax and completely unconstitutional.

A solution without a problem, just to distract from Taco’s needless war, tariff debacle, Epstein involvement, affordability crisis, stagnant growth- we can go on and on…

Not being able to use a driver’s license to register will hinder about 10% from being able to vote. A passport or birth certificate should not be the only methods for registering to vote. You are for limiting the participants so you can cheat to win.

It’s already required. What you are doing is suppressing and disenfranchising voters. Trump has proven since 2020 that our elections are as safe as they ever been. Case after case, court after court has proven that. I’m guessing you are no longer a Republican since you are so much in favor of Big Government and limited 2nd Amendment rights. Good to know when voting.

How about addressing REAL problems, not ones you make up

I, as a woman, should not have to jump through hoops to vote when men won’t be affected at all. Its a poll tax and it discrimination against married women or anyone else who had a LEGAL name change. I have been voting since I was 18 years old. I have updated my registration as my name has changed amd provided legal documents to do so. There is no reason do be forced to do it again. There is no voter fraud issue to be addressed. It is a non issue. But we do have a felon sending our troops into an illegal war to cover up for his SA of children, while lining his pockets with our taxes dollars. Maybe that’s the issue you should be investigating.

So you’re passing a law to make something thats already illegal and not happening illegal. Or maybe its really about disenfranchising american voters so republicans have even more of an unfair advantage while still claiming we have a democracy when we actually have authoritarian fascism for a government.

You magas are always focused on non existent problems. Real problems too hard, or do the billionaires object?

Voter suppression bill, this administration is so unpopular they feel the need to to further tip the scale to win

You keep using those words, “common sense,” and I don’t think you know what they mean.

Common sense is knowing that this is a made up problem where the “solution” is to disenfranchise voters you don’t like

Please explain to me how it is fair for a married man not to have to show as much documentation to vote as a married woman who changed her last name. And please explain to me how this required documentation, that many have to pay for, is not a poll tax.

I am from Missouri. Please show me how wide-spread voter fraud is.
And also show me where it is currently legal for non-citizens to vote.
Please show me the problem this legislation will fix.

So you’re coming out and saying that you want rigged elections?

Mark Alford (r) [2024 file photo].

Voter Suppression Я Us

15 Sunday Feb 2026

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

31st Senate District, clown, General Assembly, missouri, Missouri Senate, Rick Brattin, right wingnut, voter suppression

Rick Brattin (r) [2025 file photo].

Speaking of nuts…

Rick Brattin for Missouri
[February 14, 2026]

The same party who for the past decade couldn’t even define what a woman was, and let lunatic men into girls locker rooms are now claiming that showing an ID to vote is an attack on women…? NUTS!
#SAVEAct

There is no mercy in some of the responses:

If I were an elected I would not choose to toil my days away fighting with people online about non-existent problems I’ve made up in my head.
I would spend time with people I loved and listen to my community without speaking to learn and grow as a person.
The only thing stronger than hate is love.

yes but Rick won’t do that because his heart is filled with Christian hate. There is no capacity for love in his world, other than for white nationalist people who fit inside his circle.
There’s no God in the universe, that would support his version of Christian hate. But he remains ignorantly, unaware and proud of it.
thank you for standing up against the bigotry, racism, misogyny, and xenophobia of this man and others.👍👍

but he’s obsessed with other people’s genitals and sex lives, so he has to have an outlet…

I 100 % agree with you!!! I’m tired of the disinformation and falsehoods that he and others from that party spews. I want elected officials to work to improve lives not be decisive!!

I’m confused?? Are you promoting having “nuts”? Seems like it.

It appears so. What a strange Valentine’s post.

===========

What do you call an act that will increase the work load for women disproportionately over men? You wanna make it so ALL US citizens need to carry a passport or their broth certificates, marriage certificates and any divorce decrees to prove citizenship(regardless of name change) then it will be equal. Otherwise yeah. It affects women more and gives us even MORE to do and potentially includes a poll tax.

Rick Brattin for Missouri
You have to have this stuff in order to drive to your polling location, open a bank account, write a check, do your taxes and so on and so forth. It’s your responsibility to have your affairs in order, ID is required for women to buy a firearm to protect themselves, should we eliminate that requirement?

This is an outright voter suppression bill, and you know it is-I have voted for 40 years and have yet to see anyone who was not registered vote-including undocumented immigrants. This an outright poll tax-o you believe Immigrants go to polling places pretending to be someone, then when the real voter shows up, what happens? though some cities allow noncitizens to vote on some local elections. Experts have long insisted that noncitizen voting is a rare problem. Voter roll audits before the 2024 elections in Georgia found only 20 registered noncitizens out of 8.2 million registered voters statewide. Republicans are deliberately timing the change in voter rules before consequential midterm elections.
Republicans will stop at nothing to interfere with the 2026 midterms — including leveraging ICE to gain access to sensitive voter information or pass their anti-democratic SAVE Act,”

sure and if you can’t realize that this is a time and energy tax on women that men don’t have and how that will affect women getting to the polls you live in a world defined by your male privilege. Be open to listening to women about their experiences.

NO! I use a driver’s license to open a bank account—I have NEVER used a passport. Cut the maga BS crap. You know how I also know that passports are not required—my late mother never had one—and she had multiple accounts. I need a driver’s license now to vote and have done so for three decades! You Republicans are trying to obfuscate the facts.

no did you read the bill. I need my DL thats to do those things. And my DL is not acceptable proof of citizenship only residency.

Look in the mirror.

And yet, men will not need to have any of this to register to vote. THAT IS THE POINT.

Actually, it’s nothing like those examples you site, because you don’t have to show multiple forms of ID. We already are required to show identification to vote. You are adding more documents to prove citizenship. Not to mention, illegal voting is minuscule. This law is directed at keeping people that don’t vote Republican out of the polls.

there it is. Can’t come up with a reasoned response so defaults like a robot to a stupid prompt “wUT iS A WomAn?” Idiot.

I absolutely do not have to have my (with official seals) birth certificate, marriage license, any divorce papers, or even a ‘Real ID’ to open a bank account, do my taxes, write a check, or open a credit account.
Why are you lying? Is that a GOP thing?
It is absolutely a poll tax which goes against the US Constitution. But the GOP wants to destroy that. How do I know? Their actions and their words.

that’s your response to legitimate concerns. Are you a child? My preteen is a kinder human.

are you serious? Are you a child? Are you going to say “your mom” or 6/7 now? My God, how embarrassing!

I used my driver’s license to get a bank account. No other document required.
True, I had to gather several documents recently for real ID, but since I did that, please explain why it’s not good enough to register to vote?
I have all the documents now but getting them in a timely way wasn’t easy nor without financial cost. I’ve encouraged every woman I know getting married since this nonsense came out, including my own DIL, not to take their husband’s name.
Too much bureaucracy from the party of smaller government required.

you keep forgetting the poll tax part. Either you dont know the constitution or you cherry pick the parts you like.

where do you bank at that doesn’t require an ID? Poll tax? Now you are grasping for straws.🤡

So now you’re going to shame women who choose to change their last name? Interesting.
Anyway, a marriage license isn’t on the list of acceptable forms of additional identification in this bill. Surely you read the actual bill and are not just regurgitating nonsense from “politicians” like Mr. Brattin, right? Right??

You don’t have to have a birth certificate with your married name on it or a passport to do those things. A lot of fools in your party are actually pushing for no ids to buy firearms. You are just straight up lying to people’s faces here and it’s just embarrassing.

not one of those items including the Missouri Real Id prove citizenship. All of those items prove identity, not the same and you know it.

==========

Women have been changing their names on ID’s for decades. It’s never been a problem. In fact, I went to the courthouse yesterday and got a copy of my birth certificate and both marriage licenses just in case I decide to get Real ID. It took less than 10 minutes. I absolutely don’t know why women think this is something that married women haven’t been doing all along. I can only guess that someone told them they needed to be mad about it and pretend it was something new and difficult to do. As a women, It’s embarrassing that women act so uneducated and helpless about something they’ve been doing for decades. It’s actually the men who probably have no idea of how to go about changing their name. Embrace it as a teaching moment for them.

This has been another edition of My Circumstances and Experiences Always Apply to Everyone Else.

how nice for you. I had to drive 6 hrs RT and take time off my then hourly job to get mine or wait 6-10 weeks; my state of birth doesn’t have centralized records. I had to drive another 5 hr RT in a different direction to get my marriage licenses. I was finally able to spend some $$ to get multiple certified copied. Not everyone can do that.
Just because something is easy for you doesn’t mean it is for everyone.

==========

It’s about federal overreach into states.
It’s about the constitution.

Rick Brattin for Missouri
There are parameters placed on federal elections, for instance the ADA and others, all of which have been held constitutional. You have to show ID, prove citizenship, and get a federal background check in order to exercise another constitutional right if I’m not mistaken?

What about the sections of the United States Constitution that outline how voting works?
There are not that many states that don’t require ID. I don’t have an issue with ID. I have an issue with federal government overreach.
We watched the federal government call states to tell them to ignore their constitutions and gerrymander in the middle of a decade. More government overreach.
Missourians are adamantly opposed to Fed government overreach and that’s why we let the politicians use millions of our tax dollars every year to tell the federal government to stay out of our business. We elect representatives who don’t bow down to the demands of the federal government. Why aren’t you doing that?

Rick Brattin for Missouri
The constitution requires that the election is held by the individual states , not that parameters of the election cannot be placed to ensure that rampant fraud from one state can cancel out the voices of other states. Just like the aforementioned ADA requirements to ensure easy access, but ensuring that only citizens vote across the nation or that blanket voter fraud isn’t occurring by simple presentation of ID isn’t some onerous overreach by the feds

Where is the mass voter fraud? The GOP spent millions of dollars, audited, states, etc. Mike Lindell drove his company into bankruptcy, trying to prove it. Media agencies did not prove the fraud they said happened. This involves thousands of investigators desperate to prove massive voter fraud and putting thousands of hours into trying.
Years ago Ken Paxton of Texas started offering $1 million to prove Trump lost due to fraud and he still has the money.
This is a push to nationalize elections under the false pretense of mass voter fraud.
Many states have implemented new voting restriction since 2020. The federal government should be happy with that and mind their own business.

==========

lying, liar says what? Go grift somewhere else.

If you make people pay for it, it’s illegal. If the government already knows who is and isn’t a citizen, why doesn’t the government provide its citizens a voter id? Nobody would ever argue against that. But, of course, that would not lead to the voter suppression that the gop so desperately desires!

Lots of fraud in Missouri, huh? Only way I can explain your multiple re-elections. Thankfully, those days are over now.

Heh.

The only fraud is whatever gerrymandered district you represent.

==========

That’s a stupid Charlie Kirk talking point. Why do you concern yourself so much with other’s genitals?

Rick Brattin for Missouri
Says the party of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, eugenics, mass murder of children. Cool talking point bro

Stop obsessing over others genitals, bro.

Haven’t seen a President from that party put a Black couple’s faces on ape bodies, though, so that’s kind of a weird talking point, bro.

how are you this big of an idiot?? 😂

You forget the entire chapter in middle school history class that covers party switch? Or are you being disingenuous on purpose? We aren’t stupid

Kids, don’t fall asleep in school.

You do realize that eventually the two parties basically switched sides on these subjects, don’t you? Democrats are now the party of freedom and upholding the Constitution. Of ensuring equal rights for all. Republicans are concerned with controlling everyone who doesn’t fit their idea of white and Christian. Although for them this includes a leader who is orange, degrades women, assaults women, makes fun of the disabled, commits fraud and grift to enrich himself daily, illegally imprisons immigrants and citizens, and protects child sex predators. I am a PROUD Democrat!

Someone didn’t finish reading their history book…

I wonder why the Trump administration wants to take down signs explaining the history of slavery. Must be because they are big Democrats!

Apparently he missed the 1960s history of LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act and The Voting Rights Act followed by the Nixon Southern Strategy in 1968. Perhaps he didn’t read Project 2025. Oh well.

quick! back at the time of the Civil war, were Republicans liberal or conservative in their ideology?

says a man who clearly doesn’t know history.

===========

Well it is, who were the ones who changed last names that now don’t match birth certificates-WOMEN!!

Rick Brattin for Missouri
Uh, you don’t change your name on your birth certificate…ever… this is standard operating procedure for marriage for a century. Lol

Uh…

just stop. Isn’t there something that you can lecture about for men?

Can you read? She is saying when you change your last name, it no longer matches your birth certificate.
You made a poor argument, and now you are trying to argue with people because your reading comprehension skills are non-existent. Hilarious.

are you purposefully being obtuse?? My birth certificate has my birth name. Since I am a married woman since 1981, my birth certificate does not match my driver’s license which has my marriage name. This seems like you either don’t understand how it worked for women or you don’t give a darn, or you’re drunk on orange koolaid. If you are unable to represent all Missouri citizens, especially women, you should resign!!

Dear Rick:
Might I suggest more reading comprehension.
Fact: women who get married change their last names to match their spouse. This would not be the same as the name on their birth certificate. Unless of course; they marry themselves.

==========

The only people the “save” act will prevent from voting are American Citizens who have been legally voting for decades. Non-citizens already don’t vote in our elections. So this addresses a problem that doesn’t exist.

We’ve been sharing bathrooms with trans people for decades. Why it’s suddenly an issue is beyond me.

Stop relying on rhetorical fallacies to make your arguments.
Last time I checked, most men don’t change their last name when they get married. So, yes, it would disproportionately affect women in a negative way.

It isn’t just an ID. We already do that in MO. This is a poll tax, and absolutely will disenfranchise voters. Y’all really should think about this…more Democrat voters than Republican voters are passport holders.

Why is the trump administration ordering public libraries to stop processing passports?

Make it more difficult to get a passport, no passport, no voting. Simple.

Imagine the guy who doesn’t respect the votes of women. Wants to further make it more difficult for them to vote with the save act.

hiya. Missouri voter here. I had my original (1960s) birth certificate. Because the seal was no longer raised ( 60 year old paper, you know?) I had to obtain an replacement from my birth state. I had to pay expedited fee, since I didn’t expect my original to be refused.
Had my marriage certificate, social security card, utility bill ( a little tough in these days is e-payments) and the previously mentioned ORIGINAL birth certificate.
$60 for new certificate.
It’s a poll tax to keep women from voting.

My original ” birth certificate” was considered a registration of birth and had to pay the town for an embossed birth certificate but then my driver’s license didn’t match my birth certificate so I had to bring in my marriage certificate. All so I could pay the DMV for an enhanced license. Then I had to pay again to get a passport ID for citizenship. 🤔am I legal now? Was i illegal before? 😆

Is this your campaign platform? Is this your agenda? Is this your message? Is this your pledge of service to your constituents? Is this what you bring to the table?

Yes. This has been another edition of Short Answers to Simple Questions.

Rick Brattin ~ you are very mis-informed about women & name changes…..let me state a fact for you. I was adopted, I do not have an official Birth Certificate & my original Birth name is on it along with my biological parents names. Let me stress again…..I was adopted & given a new name, my lifelong name until I married, once, twice, three times. How many names is that? I have a Real ID on my driver’s license. I had to produce paperwork to get that. Now explain to me, what do I use to vote. I have voted for all of my adult life by producing my driver’s license. To force me to procure additional ID to vote or pay for that procurement is a poll tax. You know it & I know it. Believe me, many of us seniors do not have the money to acquire a passport. Again, if we do & pay for a passport, that is a poll tax. Missouri needs to focus on the REAL problems this state has rather than trying to belittle women.

The SAVE Act is voter suppression. Pure and simple. Voter fraud has been proven, again and again, to be negligible. The numbers affected by the SAVE act would be considerable. This is the polar opposite of election integrity. An un-American perversion of our electoral system. Even if the obstacles are not insurmountable, they remain obstacles. Some people, inevitably, will fail to surmount them. Result: the electorate is distorted far more than by the minuscule amount of fraud that exists. Shame on everyone who supports this bs.

Tell us you don’t know how the constitution works……

Curious what any of that has to do with serving Missouri?
You make up issues to find solutions to things that aren’t really problems. You followed the party script perfectly.

What a crayon eater.

Paste, too, probably.

Rick Brattin (r) [2013 Show Me Progress file photo].

Sam Graves (r): he went there

14 Saturday Feb 2026

Posted by Michael Bersin in Congress, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

6th Congressional District, clown, gaslighting, missouri, right wingnut, Sam Graves, sycophant, Trump sycophant, voter suppression

On Thursday:

Sam Graves
February 12 at 11:21 AM

Our elections are sacred and so is the right to vote. That’s why I was proud to support the SAVE America Act yesterday to require photo identification to vote in federal elections, require proof of citizenship to register to vote and make states remove non-citizens from their voter rolls. This bill maintains the integrity of our elections and that’s exactly what the American people want.

Not very smart there, eh?

Some of the responses:

Scared of women, are you?

Poll tax

Hack

Poll tax!!!

Poll tax!

Spineless Bootlicking Lackey.

Voter suppression!!!

Fascist gotta Fascist

13 Friday Feb 2026

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

#resist, Donald Trump, Fascist pig, social media, voter suppression

Hey, Donald:

This afternoon:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future. There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

1.12k ReTruths 3.18k Likes Feb 13, 2026, 3:35 PM

#resist

Kehoe’s Got a Clunker for You

07 Sunday Sep 2025

Posted by penroseonpolitics in Congress, Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Governor, Missouri House, Missouri Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Donald Trump, Mike Kehoe, Missouri Ballot Initiatives, missouri congressional map, Missouri Constitution, Missouri Constitutional Amendments, Missouri Gerrymandering, Missouri Governor, Missouri Legislature, Missouri Republican Party, Missouri Special Session, voter suppression

“…they mostly come at night…mostly.”

02 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Jay Ashcroft, missouri, right wingnut, Secretary of State, social media, Twitter, voter suppression

Jay Ashcroft (r) [2017 file photo].

Yesterday:

Jay Ashcroft @JayAshcroftMO
Great to be in Saline County tonight with so many friends for their Lincoln Day dinner. I was pleased to discuss election integrity and the work we are doing to ensure we NEVER have the problems Pennsylvania or Georgia had last year.
[….]
9:10 PM · Apr 1, 2021

Wait, what?

The responses:

What were the problems in Georgia? Too many Black people voting? Because there was no voter fraud.
[….]

Silly me, I thought that the SCOTUS decisions trumps that of a Missouri Attorney General’s opinion.
[….]

“Election Integrity” is the new “Jim Crow”. I look forward to explaining in detail the fall of the GOP to my grandchildren when they learn about this in history class someday.

Is “problems” a euphemism for minorities voting?

Problems? This seems incriminating

What problems? Good grief, a smart guy like you can’t find any REAL problems to work on? For shame. Senate Bill 1 will take care of stopping the flow of dark $$ & ensuring election security & voter rights. Unless you’re working to KEEP as much dark $$ as possible in the picture?

Love to hear more specifics on those “problems,” big dog.

Which problems, specifically?

You mean Democrats winning?

What problems? There were no problems.

“Election integrity ” = too many black people voted.

There were no problems in GA and PA and you know it. Isn’t bearing false witness during Holy Week kind of a big deal?

This is a lie. There were no problems in Pennsylvania or Georgia. They like liars in Missouri?

You mean the GQP getting beat? That problem?

What problems?

You’re a disingenuous ass.

The only “problems” Pennsylvania and Georgia had were a bunch of fascist-worshipping asshats that couldn’t accept the fact they lost.

Republicans should be embarrassed. Cowards.

There you go. A night to remember.

Previously:

That’s okay, there’s a duplicate tracking microchip in your smart phone (April 1, 2021)

Penrose On Politics: It’s the GOP’s Constitution

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by penroseonpolitics in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House, Missouri Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

missouri citizen initiatives, Missouri Constitution, Missouri House of Representatives, Missouri Republican Party, Missouri Senate, voter suppression

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r): Rule of Law, meh…

22 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Jay Ashcroft, missouri, Secretary of State, voter ID, voter suppression

“…I don’t care what the Supreme Court says…”

Voter suppression.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (r) [2019 file photo].

Last night, in Springfield.

With promise to revive voter ID, Ashcroft announces 2020 re-election bid
[….]

Ashcroft’s vow comes a month after the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the law, which required people with non-photo IDs such election cards or bank statements to swear they were who they said they were before voting.

The court said the scheme was “misleading,” “contradictory” and unconstitutional.

But Ashcroft hasn’t given up.

[….]

“I don’t care what the Supreme Court says,” he said. “You all should make the decision, the people of the state.”

It’s not clear it will work. High court judges considered an idea similar to what the bill proposes and called it “nonsensical” last month.

[….]

Such respect for the rule of law. It runs in the family.

Previously:

Finally, documentation of voter impersonation fraud in Missouri. Zero. (August 12, 2012)

Secretary of State Jason Kander (D): with Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC on voter ID (February 9, 2014)

Jay Ashcroft’s (r) voter photo ID tour – Warrensburg – June 16, 2017 (June 16, 2017)

HJR 99, HB 1811, and HB 1600: afraid of voters

14 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

election, General Assembly, HB 1600, HB 1811, HJR 99, John Simmons, missouri, voter suppression, voting

Introduced today by Representative John Simmons (r):

HJR 99
Proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit selecting electors for the President of the United States based on the national popular vote
Sponsor: Simmons, John (109)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2020
LR Number: 3107H.01I
Last Action: 01/14/2020 – Introduced and Read First Time (H)
Bill String: HJR 99
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

There are 2,868,691‬ reasons [pdf] for that one, eh?

And, earlier:

HB 1811
Modifies provisions for initiative petitions and referendums
Sponsor: Simmons, John (109)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2020
LR Number: 3186H.01I
Last Action: 01/09/2020 – Read Second Time (H)
Bill String: HB 1811
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

The summary [pdf]:

HB 1811 — PETITION REGULATIONS
SPONSOR: Simmons

This bill changes the format of signature sheets and requires the Secretary of State to make petition sheets available in an electronic format for printing and circulation. There is a $500 filing fee for each initiative or referendum petition sample sheet with an additional $25 fee per page of text in excess of two pages. The fee is refundable if the petition is approved for circulation. This bill changes the maximum number of words that the official summary statement can contain from 50 to 150 words and requires signatures on petitions to be in black or blue ink. Initiative petitions may not invalidate or modify federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, or court decisions, amend federal or constitutional provisions, or accomplish any act delegated to the General Assembly under the Constitution of the United States. This bill changes the “Publications Fund” to the “Secretary of State’s Petition Publications Fund”. The procedure for counting or evaluating signatures are specified in the bill. The bill specifies that any court ordered changes to a ballot title results in the invalidation of signatures collected prior to the order. This bill is similar to HB 290 (2019).

“…any court ordered changes to a ballot title results in the invalidation of signatures collected prior to the order…”

Convenient. Have enough money and don’t like an initiative petition with a lot of popular support? Just sue to change the ballot title.

And:

HB 1600
Modifies several provisions relating elections
Sponsor: Simmons, John (109)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2020
LR Number: 3088H.01I
Last Action: 01/09/2020 – Read Second Time (H)
Bill String: HB 1600
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

The summary:

HB 1600 — ELECTIONS SPONSOR: Simmons This bill modifies election laws. In its main provisions the bill: (1) Requires candidates filing their declaration of candidacy with the Secretary of State to pay their fee to the treasurer of the appropriate political party committee; (2) Requires persons voting in person by use of an absentee ballot to establish their identity under Section 115.427, RSMo; (3) Allows voters without personal identification at a polling place to vote a provisional ballot which will be counted based upon a certification process and the return of documentation or by a signature verification process conducted by the election authority; (4) Repeals certain affidavit and notice requirements under Section 115.427; and (5) Authorizes the Missouri Secretary of State to subpoena specified records for the purpose of investigating all classifications of election offenses and other specified offenses, but terminates such authority after August 28, 2025.

§ 115.427 RSMo:

Personal identification, requirements–statement for voters without required personal identification, procedure–provisional ballot, when–form of statement–notice of requirements–report–precinct register requirements–mark in lieu of signature, when–contingent effective date. —

1. Persons seeking to vote in a public election shall establish their identity and eligibility to vote at the polling place by presenting a form of personal identification to election officials. No form of personal identification other than the forms listed in this section shall be accepted to establish a voter’s qualifications to vote. Forms of personal identification that satisfy the requirements of this section are any one of the following:
  (1) Nonexpired Missouri driver’s license;
  (2) Nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver’s license;
  (3) A document that satisfies all of the following requirements:
  (a) The document contains the name of the individual to whom the document was issued, and the name substantially conforms to the most recent signature in the individual’s voter registration record;
  (b) The document shows a photograph of the individual;
  (c) The document includes an expiration date, and the document is not expired, or, if expired, the document expired after the date of the most recent general election; and
  (d) The document was issued by the United States or the state of Missouri; or
  (4) Any identification containing a photograph of the individual which is issued by the Missouri National Guard, the United States Armed Forces, or the United States Department of Veteran Affairs to a member or former member of the Missouri National Guard or the United States Armed Forces and that is not expired or does not have an expiration date.
  2. (1) An individual who appears at a polling place without a form of personal identification described in subsection 1 of this section and who is otherwise qualified to vote at that polling place may execute a statement, under penalty of perjury, averring that the individual is the person listed in the precinct register; averring that the individual does not possess a form of personal identification described in subsection 1 of this section; acknowledging that the individual is eligible to receive a Missouri nondriver’s license free of charge if desiring it in order to vote; and acknowledging that the individual is required to present a form of personal identification, as described in subsection 1 of this section, in order to vote. Such statement shall be executed and sworn to before the election official receiving the statement. Upon executing such statement, the individual may cast a regular ballot, provided such individual presents one of the following forms of identification:
  (a) Identification issued by the state of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local election authority of the state;
  (b) Identification issued by the United States government or agency thereof;
  (c) Identification issued by an institution of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of Missouri;
  (d) A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that contains the name and address of the individual;
  (e) Other identification approved by the secretary of state under rules promulgated pursuant to this section.
  (2) For any individual who appears at a polling place without a form of personal identification described in subsection 1 of this section and who is otherwise qualified to vote at that polling place, the election authority may take a picture of such individual and keep it as part of that individual’s voter registration file at the election authority.
  (3) Any individual who chooses not to execute the statement described in subdivision (1) of this subsection may cast a provisional ballot. Such provisional ballot shall be counted, provided that it meets the requirements of subsection 4 of this section.
[….]

Ah, voter suppression. HB 1600 closes the absentee ballot voter ID loophole. Because we know with the uninformed certainty of Donald Trump (r) that voter impersonation fraud is an epidemic…

All filed by Rep. John Simmons (r). Go figure.

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