COOK WANTS PROBE POWERS; CAN'T INVESTIGATE VOTE FRAUD, SHE SAYS

Secretary of State Bekki Cook wants lawmakers to give her office the power to investigate election fraud or any other voting irregularities.

Cook's office would be given that power under a bill she is pushing in the Missouri General Assembly.

It is one of several pieces of legislation drafted by Cook's office that would make changes in the state's election laws.

Cook said in Cape Girardeau Monday that her office currently is powerless to investigate voter fraud or irregularities unless requested to do so by local election officials.

She said her office needs the authority to act when warranted. "At times, it is necessary for an independent election body to come in," she told members of two Cape Girardeau Rotary clubs.

House Bill 798 would give the secretary of state the power "to investigate or cause to be investigated by local authorities any reported irregularity, neglect of duty or wrongful act committed or about to be committed... ."

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve McLuckie, D-Kansas City, also would allow the secretary of the state's office to monitor activities at polling places.

Cook was asked to monitor the St. Louis mayoral primary election earlier this month because of concern that voter fraud might occur in the fiercely contested Democratic race.

But Cook turned down the request, explaining that her office was powerless to act.

Cook was criticized for standing on the sidelines after allegations surfaced last November of Democratic vote-buying in the general election in Mississippi County.

But Cook said she didn't have the authority to intervene and the county clerk didn't ask her to step in.

Cook said she offered her assistance to federal authorities investigating the vote-buying charges.

She said she made the offer in a telephone call to Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Ferrell. Cook said Ferrell essentially told her to stay out of the investigation.

Cook said that even if she had such authority it is unlikely that her office would launch an investigation in cases such as the Mississippi County case where a federal investigation is already under way.

Cook said the state's election laws need other changes too.

Among other things, Cook wants lawmakers to approve House Bill 681 and Senate Bill 370. The legislation would make changes in the election filing law.

It would allow a political party to select a replacement candidate if the incumbent or only candidate for a particular office died, withdrew or was disqualified in a time period from two months to six weeks before the primary.

Republicans roundly criticized Cook for not reopening the filing period for the 8th District congressional seat after incumbent Bill Emerson died last June.

Cook said state law prohibited her from reopening the filing at that late date for the August primary.

Emerson died about six and a half weeks before the August primary. Had this legislation been in effect, the Republican Party would have been allowed to name a replacement candidate, said Jim Grebing, Cook's communications director.

Cook said the measure was prompted by the filing issue that surfaced after Emerson's death.