Missouri official: IDs available for voters who need them

ST. LOUIS — A spokeswoman for Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said voters who need free identification cards required by a new state law can get them beginning Thursday.

A constitutional amendment approved by voters in November requires photo IDs for voting, with some exceptions. Voters without proper identification can cast provisional ballots.

St. Louis residents will vote July 11 to fill St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s seat on the board of aldermen. Special elections are scheduled in August for vacant legislative seats.

Ashcroft said Wednesday not everyone who wants an ID will get one by the July election. Spokeswoman Maura Browning said Thursday the state can at least start the process for everyone who requests an ID, but in rare cases, the paperwork may take until after the elections.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com