Above: Senator Karla May, left, visits with LWVSTL co-president Joan Hubbard, right.

LWV of Metro St. Louis members joined in the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition's non-partisan legislative day in Jefferson City on January 28.  Our League is an organizational coalition partner. 

Hundreds of Missouri residents talked with legislators about three major voting rights issues: (1) resisting the attacks on the citizen initiative petition process, (2) restoration of voting rights after completion of prison sentences, and (3) protecting election workers and poll workers from threats and harassment.  After an initial session under the Capitol Rotunda, League members organized into teams and scattered out throughout the Capitol.

More than two dozen bills undermining Missouri's initiative-petition process have been filed.  Limiting or eliminating iniative petitions that result in a vote of the people would chip away at democracy and make it easier for the legislature to ignore the will of the electorate. This process has been guaranteed to Missourians for more than 115 years. The League believes that Missourians should continue to be able to propose and vote on issues that matter most to us, and LWV opposes weakening this process.

Several bills have been filed to restore voting rights to Missourians who have completed their felony sentences but may be still on probation or parole. Nationwide, 4.5 million people cannot vote because of a past criminal conviction; three quarters of them are not in prison, but instead are working in our communities and paying taxes.  In the last four years, eight states, including some usually conservative states, have enacted similar legislation.  Research has shown that restored voting rights reduce recidivism. 

Lastly, League members and other participants urged legislators to help protect both full-time election workers and the poll workers who staff Election Day. While we have been fortunate to avoid serious harassment incidents in St. Louis City and County thus far, nationwide nearly a third of election officials and workers have been harassed, abused, or threatened on the job.  More than 20 percent of them are concerned about being physically assaulted.  A majority of election officials feel that threats will make it more difficult to recruit and retain the necessary poll workers.