Missouri legislators approve numerous changes to elections

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri legislators approved numerous changes Thursday to local elections, including allowing voters to request absentee ballots by email.

The omnibus measure won final approval in the Senate, 24-7, more than a week after the House passed it 139-6. The measure also potentially would reduce the amount of time candidates would have to get their names on ballots during special elections.

Senate leaders haven't decided when to send the measure to Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, who hasn't indicated whether he'll sign it.

In a news release, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft praised the bill and said a provision changing reimbursement deadlines potentially would reduce the amount of time local election officials would have to wait for money they were owed by the state.

Rep. Tracy McCreery, a St. Louis Democrat, voted against the bill because she was concerned giving candidates only three weeks to collect signatures to qualify for a special election could discourage independent candidates from running. Currently, someone must file for candidacy just by the midway point between when a special election is called and when voting begins, a window that can last more than three weeks.

"Think about if someone was running for state Senate or wanted to run statewide, it would be nearly impossible to get the number of signatures needed in 21 days," she said.

To run for statewide office as an independent, candidates need at least 10,000 signatures from registered voters.

The bill is SB 592