MORIARTY WANTS TO RAISE VOTER REGISTRATION

Judith K. "Judi" Moriarty wants to bring Missouri into the top 10 in terms of voter registration.

"Since 1984, voter registration in Missouri has decreased by 7 percent," said Moriarty, the Democratic candidate for Missouri secretary of state. "Our state and 11 others are considered the worst in the nation," she said. "My goal is to bring Missouri into the top 10."

Moriarty, who brought her campaign to Cape Girardeau Wednesday, proposes a couple of ways to increase voter registration.

"I think that all high school students who reach the age of 18 should be allowed to register to vote at the school they attend," she said. "This is a first step toward helping these young people develop a basic obligation in our democracy."

Moriarty also called for implementation of voter registration by postcard.

"Postcard registration is allowed in more than 25 states," she said. "Such a system would be less costly and easier to implement than the proposed motor-voter bill, which was recently vetoed by President Bush."

Moriarty, county clerk of Pettis County for the last 10 years, said her experience as a county clerk has shown that few people register by mail under the current system.

"I believe that we could make it very workable if some of the restrictions were eased," she said. "We need to look at ways to expand registration by mail. Postcards could be made available in post offices, government centers and other public places. They would be mailed to the local election authority."

"Moriarty, of Sedalia, defeated three Democrats in the August primary. She has won three county elections as Pettis County clerk.

"We surprised a lot of people," she said. "We conducted a low-budget less than $20,000 grassroots campaign. We haven't been in Southeast Missouri that much, but we were in Cape Girardeau the week of the District Fair."

Moriarty started her swing through Southeast Missouri Monday with visits to Ste. Genevieve and Festus. She made appearances in Dexter and Sikeston Tuesday."

"Serving as county clerk is a good stepping stone to the secretary of state's office," she said. "I feel that I have a good foundation to do the job.

Former governor Joseph P. Teasdale is serving as chairman of the Moriarty campaign.

During the primary, she won 31 percent of the vote and carried 60 percent of the counties, defeating three opponents.

She will face John Hancock, a state representative from St. Louis, in the general election.

"The secretary of state's office is an important one and is vital to the economy," she said. "More than 147,000 corporations are registered with the office. In addition, franchises and securities are registered there."

Moriarty, during her years as Pettis County clerk, has been recognized for increasing voter participation and for lowering the cost of elections in her county while maintaining an office budget at nearly the same level for the last 10 years.

She is a member of the American Cancer Society State Board of Directors and is a secretary and board member of the Salvation Army. She is a member of a number of other organizations, including BPW, Daughters of Isabella, and Sedalia Kiwanis Club.

Moriarty is a native of Benton County. She attended Warsaw, Mo. High School and Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg. She is the mother of three sons and grandmother of four.