Provisional Voting Rules Go Before Court

A lawsuit over Secretary of State Matt Blunt’s rules regarding provisional voting is being heard today in a Jefferson City courtroom. Those rules allow voters whose registration cannot be verified to cast ballots, and the ballots are later counted if the voters are legitimate. Blunt’s rules require provisional voters to cast ballots in their home precincts, but those bringing the suit claim the voters should be allowed to cast ballots anywhere. Senator Christopher Bond supported federal legislation that reflects Blunt’s rules for provisional voting. He says the rules are only as good as the people whose job it is to ensure elections are conducted properly. Under state law, local election officials will have two weeks after the voting to determine which of the provisionals was legitimately registered.