Oppose Barriers to Voting and Candidacy

I urge you to strongly oppose SB836 (Crawford) and HB1871 (McGaugh), bills designed to suppress the vote, restrict choice, and centralize power in Missouri. This legislation deepens our state's restrictive voting regime. It extends the photo ID mandate to in-person absentee voting, adding new obstacles for the elderly, disabled, and low-income voters. Simultaneously, it tightens the provisional ballot process, effectively weaponizing bureaucracy to discard more legitimate votes. Beyond voter suppression, this legislation attacks the foundations of our democracy. It shortens candidate filing deadlines, marginalizes grassroots campaigns and limits voter choice. It also makes it harder for local communities to govern themselves by imposing stricter, more centralized requirements for political subdivisions to place issues on the ballot, stifling local democratic participation. Furthermore, the bills impose new restrictions on write-in candidates, including requiring them to file a declaration of intent on an impractical timeline. This move further narrows the field and insulates incumbents from challengers. SB836 and HB1871 do not promote election integrity. They systematically erect barriers for voters, candidates, and local communities. They centralize power and weaken accountability. I urge you to defend democracy and vote NO on these harmful bills.