Governor Puts Forward Proposal To Make Absentee Voting Easier

The man who used to be the state’s election authority is backing a change to Missouri’s absentee voting system but admits he has not consulted with the new Secretary of State on the idea. Governor Matt Blunt used to be Secretary of State. He wants to eliminate the need to give a reason to get an absentee ballot. Blunt calls it “No-Excuse Absentee Voting.” He also wants to eliminate the requirement that a notary public certify the ballot. Blunt admits he has not run the idea by the new Secretary of State, Robin Carnahan. Carnahan says she’ll have to see more of the plan before passing final judgment. Carnahan says she is worried political campaigns and parties would be the ones controlling the absentee ballots, damaging the privacy of Missouri voters. She is also concerned about the elimination of notarizing the ballots could lead to fraud.