Elections

The upcoming November election is the first to be impacted by Missouri’s sweeping new election law. While it is currently in effect, two lawsuits filed against it could jeopardize it in the future.

The judge asked for more specifics regarding the plaintiffs' claims, giving them 30 days to replead the case. The bill in question received pushback, including on the new photo ID requirement and changes made regarding voter registration.

In the past, residents needed to submit an application for a mail-in ballot for each individual election, but now they avoid that by filing an application for permanent vote-by-mail status with their local election authority.

The sweeping elections bill not only contains the requirement of a government issued photo-ID to vote, it also adds restrictions to election processes like voter registration. Those against the bill say it violated Missouri’s constitutional right to vote.

Even as the Jan. 6 hearings play out, election misinformation keeps spreading. NPR tracked four leaders preaching false information about election fraud at hundreds of grassroots events nationwide.

The elections bill was just one piece of legislation Parson signed into law on Wednesday. Others included funding charter schools, bills related to utilities and another barring homeless people from sleeping on state-owned land.

The more than 50-page bill contains not only a photo ID requirement in order to vote, but also new rules for election authorities across the state, leading some to wonder how they will be enforced.

One of the transgender bills was added to a bill containing multiple measures about Missouri elections, including the requirement that voters show a photo ID in order to cast their ballot.

Despite candidate guides that circulated on social media, results in St. Louis region school board races didn’t point to one clear ideological trend.

Issues like health protocols in schools and debates over curriculum have made their way into school board elections this year.