Heh. Rick Santorum (r) [pdf].

It’s that time again. Bills are being prefiled for the coming session of the Missouri General Assembly.

HB 26
Changes the law regarding primary elections
Sponsor: Stacy, Dan (031)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2019
LR Number: 0330H.02I
Last Action: 12/03/2018 – Prefiled (H)
Bill String: HB 26
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

The bill text:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 26 [pdf]
100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE STACY.
0330H.02I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 115, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to closed primary elections.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 115, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 115.628, to read as follows:
115.628. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Integrity in Political Party Voting Act”.
2. Except as provided in subsection of this section, the governing body of any established political party shall adopt a closed primary election system that shall be enforced by the office of the secretary of state and the requisite local election authority. The closed primary election system shall be binding upon all elections for partisan offices in this state.
3. The secretary of state shall maintain voter registration records in accordance with the Missouri voter registration system defined under section 115.158. No later than six months prior to a primary election date, the secretary of state shall distribute a list of eligible voters for each established political party to all requisite local election authorities. Local election authorities shall implement the closed primary system for any primary election after January 1, 2021, by providing primary ballots indicating political party nominees only to those individuals who are registered to vote in this state and who appear on the lists provided by the secretary of state.
4. Any registered voter affiliated with a political party shall remain affiliated with that political party for one year after any primary election before he or she may change party affiliation.
5. Any political party entitled to ballot access as established under section 115.315 shall be allowed to exempt itself from a closed primary and conduct a caucus or primary election at its own expense. The party shall be allowed to submit a general election candidate for the general election ballot.
6. The state shall pay the costs of implementing the closed primary system under this section, with the exception of any caucus or primary election conducted under subsection 4.
7. Local election authorities shall notify registered voters of the political party affiliation requirements of this section prior to the August 2020 primary election by using all current election mailings that would otherwise be mailed to registered voters.
8. Beginning January 1, 2020, the voter registration application form shall be amended to include a choice of political party affiliation.
9. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, this section shall provide that initial political party registration be determined by the political party ballot chosen by the voter in the 2020 presidential preference primary and the August 2020 primary. Appropriate software shall be provided at voter check-in for political party ballot selection so as to minimize later data entry for election authorities. Those who have not declared a party affiliation before the 2020 general election shall have the option to do so using the appropriate software during voter check-in for such election. The election authority shall have six months to process this initial political party registration through its normal means of administration.
10. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all current processes for registering voters in the various counties shall remain in place.

Closed primaries, with an opt out for parties at their expense.

“…No later than six months prior to a primary election date, the secretary of state shall distribute a list of eligible voters for each established political party to all requisite local election authorities. Local election authorities shall implement the closed primary system for any primary election after January 1, 2021, by providing primary ballots indicating political party nominees only to those individuals who are registered to vote in this state and who appear on the lists provided by the secretary of state…”

Wait, so if you registered to vote thirty days before the primary you won’t be on “the list” so then you can’t vote in the primary?

Heh. Rick Santorum.