When Pettis County voters go to the polls for the Aug. 8 special election, they’ll be required to follow a new photo voter ID law that went into effect June 1.
Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment during the November general election to require photo IDs for voting, although there are some exceptions. Pettis County Clerk Nick La Strada spoke with the Democrat this week to explain the new state law. He noted that while Missouri voters are encouraged to present a photo ID at the polls from now on, registered voters without a government-issued photo ID will still be allowed to vote.
“We are highly encouraging people to bring in their photo ID and bring in their voter registration card — they all get their voting reminder card in the mail before every election,” La Strada said. “We encourage that to make the process more efficient for our poll workers and for the voters themselves. The good news is when I observed in November, I would say 85 to 90 percent of people already had their photo ID out.”
Voters will have three options when they get to the polls:
• Present one of the following forms of valid photo ID — Missouri driver license, Missouri non-driver license, passport or military ID.
• Present one of the following forms of acceptable identification and sign the provided statement — voter registration card, ID from a Missouri university, college vocational or technical school, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing your name and address.
“You can still vote without a voter ID. You have to fill out an affidavit,” La Strada explained. “It will be on our e-poll books, which will be nice and our voters are used to signing on anyway. … They are still able to vote but there is an extra step they have to do.”
• Present no ID and vote using a provisional ballot.
“If they show up and don’t have anything, which happens, they can still vote a provisional ballot,” La Strada said. “It will be accounted for if they do go back to the poll to show their ID if they forget it or if their signature matches the signature within our system.”
Voters needing a photo ID can contact the Missouri Secretary of State’s office by calling 866-868-3245 or emailing ShowIt2Vote@sos.mo.gov. Citizens will be provided a Missouri non-driver license at no cost after providing the needed documents to obtain an ID.
La Strada said his office is working to inform citizens about the new voter ID law by posting flyers in their office and the polling stations in August, plus using the Pettis County Elections Office page on Facebook. He added that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will be visiting his office next week to work with La Strada and his employees on the new requirements.
La Strada noted the new photo voter ID law does not affect the voter registration process. Voters have until July 12 to register to vote in the Aug. 8 special election in Pettis County, which will include the 28th Senate District seat vacated by Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, a bond issue for the Green Ridge School District and deciding a write-in candidate tie from the April municipal election for the Dresden Board of Education.
Ashcroft has been traveling the state recently to discuss the new photo voter ID law with the public. Informational meetings in the area include 10:45 a.m. Thursday at the Martin Community Center, 1985 S. Odell Ave. in Marshall, and 6 p.m. Thursday at Trails Regional Library, 432 N. Holden St. in Warrensburg.
For more information about the new voter ID law, visit www.sos.mo.gov/showit2vote. For more local information, visit pettiscomo.com or facebook.com/PettisCountyElectionsOffice or call the Clerk’s office at at 660-826-5000 ext. 918 or La Strada’s cell phone at 660-281-7767.
