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Ashcroft: Battle is not over on Missouri’s voter ID law

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Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wants the Legislature to fight a Supreme Court ruling this week about the state’s voter ID law. Missouri’s high court has ruled that language used in a sworn statement is misleading and unconstitutional. Voters without an ID at the polls were required to sign the statement to confirm to their identity.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (2017 photo)

“I think that we are going to have to ask the Legislature to move forward on this,” says Ashcroft. “It looks to me like the Supreme Court is setting up a confrontation between the Supreme Court on one side, the Legislature, the Executive branch, and the Constitution as approved by the people on the other hand. And that really concerns me.”

In 2016, voters passed a constitutional amendment, Amendment 6, by a 63% margin which allowed the state to make a law requiring voters to identify themselves with IDs that “may” include valid government-issued photo identification.

“It is no longer unconstitutional in the state of Missouri to present photo ID to vote and yet our court is saying that it is,” says Ashcroft. “Anytime we have a government entity that ignores the will of the people properly expressed through the Constitution of the state, we have a problem. The role of the judiciary is not to say what the law should be. If you’re a judge and you want to spend your time saying what the law should be, run for the Legislature.”

Voter advocacy organization Priorities USA sued the state and said expert testimony in the trial has confirmed that voters would need a graduate level degree to understand the statement language.

The 5-2 judgement also bars the Secretary of State’s office from distributing information saying a photo ID is required to vote. Judges Brent Powell and Zel Fischer were the dissenting votes.

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Missouri Supreme Court upholds lower court’s ruling about voter ID law

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In a 5-2 ruling today, the Missouri Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling about the state requiring a photo ID at the polls. The high court says a Cole County Court was right to strike down a state requirement making voters without a photo ID sign a statement swearing they are who they say they are.

The Missouri Supreme Court

In 2016, voters passed a constitutional amendment, Amendment 6, by a 63 percent margin which allowed the state to make a law requiring voters to identify themselves with IDs that “may” include valid government-issued photo identification. Left-leaning group Priorities USA sued the state arguing the statement language is confusing.

In 2018, Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan called the affidavit language contradictory and misleading and ruled to get rid of it. Today, the Supreme Court agreed.

The judgement also bars the Secretary of State’s office from distributing information saying a photo ID is required to vote.

Senator Jill Schupp, a Democrat from the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, hopes the ruling will put the longtime Republican voter ID effort to rest.

“I’m delighted that the people’s votes will be protected and that this law was shot down by the Supreme Court. We move forward and we try to protect our elections and try to make sure everybody’s vote counts,” says Schupp. “We have three co-equal branches of government and each of them need to be respected. So, I’m hopefully that the Legislature will understand the Supreme Court’s basis for their judgement and we’ll move forward and allow people to take advantage of their right to vote.”

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, also responded to the court ruling.

Judges Brent Powell and Zel Fischer were the dissenting votes.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet