Missouri State Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, wants to tighten how voter registration works in the state.
Her bill would require election officials to make sure anyone signing up to vote can show proof they’re a U.S. citizen — a change Carter described as leading to cleaner voting lists.
“It mandates that our data matching agreement explicitly include citizenship status information from motor vehicle records, allowing for better verification and cleaner voting lists,” said Carter.
But Kay Park with the Missouri League of Women Voters said the plan would end up blocking many lawful voters from the ballot.
“Which includes particularly people of color and particularly women, people that don’t have a passport, that don’t have access to a birth certificate,” said Park. “So, it’s going to take away the rights of those citizens.”
Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, said anyone lacking the proper documents can get help obtaining them.
“It’s a part of being a functioning member of society to apply for benefits from the government. So, if we have a process that requires that, we’ll pay for it, how is this a detrimental thing other than we’re helping them provide that documentation, but also at the same time ensuring a safe, secure election?” asked Brattin.
According to Senator Carter, the bill is designed to block ineligible registrations upfront while remaining in line with federal election law.
A link to the bill can be found below.
https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/mo/2026/bills/MOB00026809/
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