Say No to Voter Suppression

I urge you to oppose SB986 (Brown) and SB1122 (Schroer), bills that would create significant barriers to voting for eligible Missouri citizens under the guise of preventing a problem that barely exists. This legislation would require documentary proof of citizenship (such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers) to register to vote, upending the voter registration methods used by more than 90 percent of Americans. The reality is that non-citizen voting is already illegal and vanishingly rare. Missouri has secure systems in place, including matching voter registration information against motor vehicle and Social Security databases before adding applicants to the rolls. The state also imposes significant penalties on anyone who violates election laws. This bill solves a problem that does not exist while creating a host of new ones. The impact on eligible voters would be devastating. Nationwide, more than 21 million American citizens lack ready access to documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of State, only half of American citizens have a passport, and two-thirds of African American citizens lack one. In Missouri alone, more than 200,000 registered voters lack a valid state ID. These are real people who would be disenfranchised by this legislation. Particular populations would bear the heaviest burden. Approximately 69 million female citizens do not have birth certificates with their current legal names, requiring additional legal documentation that takes time and money to obtain. Seniors, who vote at the highest rates, are less likely to have passports and more likely to have errors on their birth certificates that could require court-ordered name changes to correct. Naturalized citizens face potential discrimination and intimidation. Working-class Americans and people of color, who are less likely to have passports, would be disproportionately affected. Rural voters could face lengthy travel to county seats to reach election authority offices. Victims of natural disasters like the recent tornado in St. Louis would struggle to register if their documents were lost or damaged. People with disabilities are less likely to have valid state IDs. The cost and time required to obtain certified birth certificates from other states (which can take months and require photo IDs in at least 17 states) would place an unfair burden on citizens trying to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Local election officials would face new liability, and community and campus voter registration drives would become nearly impossible. Online voter registration, currently used in Missouri and 41 other states, would be eliminated. We should be expanding access to the ballot, not erecting barriers that disenfranchise eligible citizens. I urge you to strongly oppose these bills.