Voter ID at center of Missouri secretary of state election

On Nov. 7, 2000, hundreds of St. Louis voters were unable to practice that most cherished of constitutional sacraments. They were turned away from the ballot box, told their names had been placed on the city's list of inactive voters.

House Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller, R-Willard, calls that incident pivotal in two of his recent decisions -- his introduction of legislation to require voter identification and his run for Missouri secretary of state.

"I think that's when I began to understand the importance of having a secretary of state who truly wants to make sure your elections are fair and honest," Schoeller said Friday during a stop in Cape Girardeau.

The Missouri House as a whole endorsed his plan for voter IDs last week, giving first-round approval by a 104-54 margin that was along strict party lines. Missouri voters will decide whether to endorse Schoeller in his bid to replace Democrat Robin Carnahan, who said last September she would not seek a third term.

Schoeller hopes to take on Rep. Jason Kander, D-Kansas City, for the job. But two other Republicans want it too -- state senators Bill Stouffer and Scott Rupp.

As for now, Schoeller is working to get his bill through. Politicians in Missouri have been debating the need for a voter ID requirement for decades and this is the seventh time in eight years it has been brought up in the legislature.

The Missouri Supreme Court has weighed in, too, ruling six years ago that it was unconstitutional, and Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed last year's attempt. Voters will have their say in November, when a constitutional amendment is slated to appear on the ballot.

Schoeller said it should be a key discussion in the race for secretary of state because one vote in some elections can be a factor in the results and protecting the voting process is crucial.

But Democrats, including Kander, argue that requiring identification from voters will just make it more difficult for Missouri's 230,000 registered voters to cast ballots -- especially the disabled and elderly. Others call the move purely political and say it skews elections toward Republicans because poor people and minorities have historically voted Democratic.

While Kander could not be reached for comment Friday, Missouri Democratic Party spokeswoman Caitlin Legacki suggested that such a requirement is unnecessary and misguided.

"Rep. Schoeller wants to spend millions in taxpayer dollars to take away the right to vote for tens of thousands of Missouri seniors and veterans," she said. "At a time when legislators should be focused on balancing the budget and creating jobs, he clearly has the wrong priorities."

Other Democrats have also said there is not a need. Documented cases of voter fraud are few and far between and such a law would be largely frivolous, they contend.

Right now, Missouri voters simply show a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification when they cast a ballot. But Schoeller points out that the law also allows them to prove who they are with paperwork that does not have their picture on it, such as bank statements, utility bills or paychecks. Those are to easy to fake, he said. Under his bill, the state would also have to pay for non-driver's license state IDs.

Under his bill, he says, anyone who shows up to a voting location without identification can still cast a provisional ballot. That ballot will be counted if that person can later prove his or her identity.

Missourians also like the idea of voter ID, he said, citing a recent poll that suggested 70 to 80 percent of residents agree with him.

The cost of implementing such a plan is estimated at between $3 million and $7 million in the first election, although Schoeller questions those figures.

Some elections officials across the state like the idea of voter identification, too, including Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers. But she would want to make sure that such a requirement would not be a financial burden and dissuade some from voting.

"I'm all about preventing voter fraud and I think that's the way we need to do it in the state of Missouri," she said. "I would just want to make sure we could get a voter ID without a cost to them."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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