Elections
Bipartisan former members of Congress call for boost in funding to secure elections
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of former U.S. lawmakers on the National Council on Election Integrity called on Congress on Friday to spend $400 million on election integrity to insulate the system from foreign interference. “The Department of Homeland Security designated our election system as critical infrastructure in 2017,” the four wrote in a letter. “However, […]
Lawmakers consider bill switching Missouri back to a presidential primary
Like a lot of Missourians, Shelley Swoyer of Jefferson City was surprised to see that the state had switched from its long-used method of selecting presidential primary candidates to a caucus system last June. “I’m just a voter. I encourage people to vote, I register people to vote. We live in a democracy that extols […]
Missouri House committee rejects call for recount in close St. Charles County district
On a party-line vote, a Missouri House committee on Wednesday rejected a request for a recount in a legislative district decided by 99 votes in the November election. Democratic members of the Special Committee on Election Contests voted against the decision to deny a recount. Majority Republicans said they opposed the recount because the challenger, […]
Noncitizens allowed to vote in some local elections around the country, spurring GOP backlash
A few cities and towns around the U.S. are letting noncitizens vote in local elections, and more could follow. In response, Republicans see a chance to turn opposition to noncitizen voting into a national rallying cry. On March 14, Washington, D.C., became the latest city to approve noncitizen voting, when a bill allowing the District’s […]
Trump criticizes DeSantis, calls for national ‘school choice’ at first 2023 Iowa event
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump, in his first Iowa stop as an official presidential candidate, took aim at a potential rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump said if DeSantis joins the 2024 presidential race, his track record on ethanol and Social Security could cost him the Iowa caucuses. “I don’t think you’re gonna be doing […]
Courts hopeful Missouri lawmakers can provide funds to help with marijuana expungements
After three months of looking through old marijuana charges, Boone County Circuit Court Clerk Christy Blakemore — along with clerks and judges around the state — has come to a realization. There’s no quick way to wipe those records clean. And, it’s going to take a lot more money for overtime to go through the […]
GOP state officials at U.S. House hearing push back against federal election oversight
WASHINGTON — Republican election officials from Florida, Ohio and Louisiana on Friday detailed to lawmakers on a U.S. House Administration panel the success of their states’ handling of the 2022 midterm elections, and said they can run their own elections without federal intervention. The chair of the Elections Subcommittee, Florida GOP freshman Rep. Laurel Lee, […]
Democratic candidates jump into race for Missouri attorney general
Democrats have their first potential 2024 statewide primary contest now that a term-limited lawmaker and a lawyer who’s regularly sued the state’s top leaders for Sunshine Law violations are both in the race for attorney general. State Rep. Sarah Unsicker of Shrewsbury announced her bid for the office in a tweet on Wednesday evening. It […]
Group files ballot measures adding abortion protections to Missouri Constitution
Eleven versions of a proposed initiative petition seeking to roll back Missouri’s ban on abortion by adding protections for the procedure to the state constitution were filed Wednesday with the Secretary of State’s office. Filed by a St. Louis doctor on behalf of a political action committee called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the proposals would […]
GOP presidential candidates head to Iowa as party waits for more to join field
With more candidates joining the race to take on President Joe Biden in the upcoming election, presidential hopefuls, both announced and considering, are starting their time on the Iowa caucus trail this month The beginning months on the 2024 caucus trail has not been quite as busy as 2020, when several Democratic presidential candidates announced […]
Jay Ashcroft withdraws Missouri from group designed to help combat voter fraud
Missouri will no longer participate in a voluntary system aimed at helping states combat voter fraud by maintaining accurate lists of registered voters. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced Monday afternoon that Missouri, along with Florida and West Virginia, were withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC. The system was established in 2012 […]
State senator throws first punches of 2024 Missouri governor’s campaign
In a series of digital ads focused on Chinese farmland and taxes, state Sen. Bill Eigel has launched the opening salvo of a likely contentious 2024 Republican gubernatorial primary. Eigel, a two-term GOP legislator from St. Charles County, began running ads on Facebook this month criticizing two of his fellow Republicans — Lt. Gov. Mike […]