Judge Jon Beetem issued a decision on Nov. 25 allowing strict photo ID rules to stay in place.

“We expect to appeal this decision," says LWVMO President Marilyn McLeod. “The League believes the state should be making it easier, not harder, for Missourians to exercise their fundamental right to vote. There's no evidence of voter impersonation in Missouri, so these restrictions don’t make our elections any safer or more secure." 

The League office received dozens of calls from voters in 2024 who didn’t know about the new photo ID rules. Many students, seniors, non-drivers, and people with disabilities could use a provisional ballot but it didn’t count without a signature match.

The 2022 law requires citizens to show a non-expired state-issued photo ID, U.S. passport or military ID to vote. Voters in elections before November 2022 were able to use several other forms of identification, including a voter ID card issued by an election authority, student ID, or recently-expired driver’s license or state ID. 

The League won previous lawsuits challenging strict photo ID requirements as a violation of the Missouri Constitution. 

The Missouri State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (MO NAACP) joins the League in both suits. They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri and the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.