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The Missouri House has passed a proposed change to Missouri’s Constitution to allow early voting and set up a system for it. Because the measure had cleared the Senate, it next goes to Missouri voters.
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For the fifth straight year the House has passed a proposal to change how vacancies in statewide offices are filled.
Salem representative Jason Smith says his bill would clarify how vacancies in certain statewide offices would be filled. (Photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
The bill would require openings for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, state treasurer and U.S. Senator be filled at the next general election after they become vacant.
Representative Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis) says she thinks the timing of the proposal is political..
“Most of us read the newspapers or online and we know that our lieutenant governor may be a candidate in (the special election for the 8th District Congressional Seat) therefore leaving a statewide vacancy. It’s pretty odd that we would have this bill at the same time that situation might arise.”
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Jason Smith (R-Salem) tells Newman the idea of the proposal is not new and not just about the possible vacancy at lieutenant governor.
“We’ve passed it four prior years and we’ve passed it numerous times on Senate bills. For you to try to mislead this body to say that we just decided to do it … I think that you need to realize that this is the fifth year this has happened.”
The legislation includes a provision that prevents a person appointed to one of those offices from running for it until after someone else has been elected and served a term. Newman says that’s her biggest issue with the bill.
“We have no elected office right now in the State of Missouri that has those stipulations. We have sincere doubts that this provision is constitutional.”
Smith says the provision is about preventing what he calls the “power of incumbency.”
“It’s just the purpose that a lot of people brought forward in the past, that they felt like an individual being appointed would have an unfair advantage over someone who is running for the position.”
The bill was passed with an emergency clause, meaning it would go into effect immediately if signed by the Governor, but it next goes to the Senate.
The House Elections Committee has approved House House Speaker Pro Tem Jason Smith’s (R-Salem) proposal that would require openings for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, state treasurer and U.S. Senator be filled at the next general election after they become vacant. It also would block a temporary office holder appointed by the Governor from running to fill the seat he or she is appointed to fill.
House Speaker Pro Tem Jason Smith (R-Salem) (photo courtesy, Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
Smith told the Committee, “It’s just the purpose that a lot of people brought forward in the past that they felt like an individual being appointed would have an unfair advantage over someone who is running for the position.”
Critics say Smith’s bill is politically motivated, aimed at keeping a Democrat Governor, Jay Nixon, from naming the replacement for a Republican Lieutenant Governor, Peter Kinder, who is pursuing the 8th District Congressional Seat being vacated by Jo Ann Emerson. Smith says, not so.
“It’s legal reasons, not political reasons, because the law’s not clear. The law provides in section 105.030 that upon a vacancy of a statewide office, for example Lieutenant Governor, it’s filled by special election, but then the governor of the state is saying that no, he gets to appoint it.”
Representative Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis County) is skeptical.
Representative Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis County)
“I think the public is suspect, too. We talk about transparency and we hear all the time about smaller government. This bill has some elements that are more government.”
Newman was the only “no” vote in the Committee. She believes this bill wouldn’t have been filed if there was not a Democrat in the Governor’s Office.
“I think this issue has arisen because of potential vacancies in the Lieutenant Governor’s office now. That potential has been there for some time and I think if that wasn’t part of the discussion we wouldn’t be pushing this so fast.”
This is Smith’s fifth year to file the bill. He says it’s been changed to address the concerns of Governor Nixon, who vetoed it two years ago.
The bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Rules Committee today. Smith hopes it will be debated on the floor next week.
U.S. Senate Republican candidate Todd Akin has conceded the race to incumbent Claire McCaskill. With roughly 50% of the precincts reporting, McCaskill was leading 51.2% to 42.1%. Earlier in the evening, supporters of Akin were being told to remain confident despite the fact that Fox News, CBS and NBC had projected McCaskill the winner with on 21% of the votes counted.
AUDIO Akin’s speech (8:00)
Congressman Todd Akin speaks with Capitol reporters/House photo
A Missouri Congressman might well be eyeing a run for the United States Senate, but will only hint at the possibility during a visit to the Capitol.
St. Louis Congressman Todd Akin takes time out during his visit to the Capitol to talk with reporters about his possible US Senate run.
“Well, we’re thinking we’re getting very, very close and would anticipate some type of an announcement before too long,” Akin tells reporters.
Akin says that decision could come this month; a decision to enter the Republican primary with the aim of taking on incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, not an easy task says Akin.
“She’ll be tough,” Akin says, pausing a bit. “She’ll be tough.” [Read more…]
Local elections officials are geting ready for the evening rush-hour load of voters. Anecdotal reports say voting was heavy during the morning rush hour…No major problems have cropped up, says the Secretary of State’s office, although the state voter registration database has been inaccessible to local authorities. [Read more…]
Missouri’s county elections authorities think about half of the registered voters will cast ballots today. Scott County Clerk Rita Milam, the immediate past president of the Missouri County Clerks Association, has been processing returns since 1984 and has been the clerk since 1995. [Read more…]
If you plan on voting November 2nd, you better make sure you are registered to vote by the end of the day.
October 6th is the deadline to register to vote in the November general election.
Secretary of State spokeswoman Laura Egerdal urges you to register and not miss out on participating in democracy.
“The US Census for the last mid-term election, November 2006, said more than 5 million eligible voters weren’t able to participate, because they missed that deadline,” according to Egerdal.
You can either go to your local election authority, for most Missourians the County Clerk, or mail in the forms with today’s postmark. You also can update any information.
So far this year, more than 105,000 Missourians have registered to vote for the first time. More than 600,000 have updated their name and address to ensure they can cast a ballot November 2nd.
Egerdal says the Secretary of State has all the information you need online at GoVoteMissouri.com.
“Elections in Missouri really are local,” Egerdal says. “Any of those forms you print out (from the website) actually need to go back to your local election authority. And you can also get paper copies of those forms or any other information you need from your local election authority. So, for most of us that is going to be our County Clerk, but you can look up that information online as well at GoVoteMissouri.com.”
A nonpartisan national election issues organization charges most Missouri candidates from the U-S Senate on down through the Missouri House have thumbed their noses at voters. Results of this year’s Political Courage Test are considered discouraging by the survey organization. [Read more…]
Absentee voting is underway in Missouri, for those with an excused absence. The Secretary of State’s office would like that to change and allow Missouri voters to cast ballots early without having to provide an excuse.
You don’t have to wait until November 2nd to vote in the General Election, but you do have to have a reason to cast an absentee ballot. [Read more…]