This text initially appeared on JoeHoft.com and was republished with permission.
Ballot challengers in a number of counties in Missouri Submit Statewide Uniform Election Challenges on election legislation violations.
Seven counties in Missouri have filed a complete of no less than six uniform election challenges. St. Charles County has been notably lively, with 13 ballot challengers submitting six pre-election challenges associated to potential violations of election legislation for the upcoming November fifth Missouri Common Election.
The counties concerned embody Clay, St. Charles, Platte, Clinton, Boone, St. Louis Metropolis, and Jackson.
In response to Missouri Revised Statutes § 115.105(2), the function of a ballot challenger is to deal with perceived violations of election legislation.
#MissouriGrassroots coming in HOT! https://t.co/Qo7jmFDWzO pic.twitter.com/vEkHgE3JPJ
— Kristen Haftrak (@Kristen_Haftrak) October 25, 2024
The current challenges element a number of key points:
- Early Voting: There are claims that early voting is unconstitutional. Though Missouri handed a legislation permitting early voting two years in the past, challengers argue that any such measure requires a two-thirds majority vote from the legislature to amend the structure, which is explicitly mandated. Missouri legislation specifies that normal elections are to be held on the primary Tuesday after the primary Monday in November of even-numbered years, as outlined in Title 2 U.S.C. § 7 and the Missouri Structure. The “no excuse” early voting that commenced on October 22, 2024, is due to this fact seen as a violation of those statutes.
- Laboratory Accreditations: Challenges have been raised concerning the required signatures for laboratory accreditations, which should come from the EAC Chairman, not the chief director. Moreover, these accreditations should embody an expiration date and are legitimate for under two years.
- Voter Intent: Two particular challenges tackle problems with voter intent: one pertains to the location of distinguishing marks beside candidates as required by Missouri Statute, and the opposite considerations tabulators’ lack of ability to acknowledge voter intent based on the legislation.
- Folded Ballots: Missouri election legal guidelines clearly dictate that paper ballots should be folded to hide distinguishing marks earlier than being solid. Since tabulators don’t learn folded ballots, this presents one other concern.
- Hand Counting: Present state legal guidelines differentiate between counting optical scan ballots and paper ballots. The latter ought to be counted by hand, and directions don’t allow using tabulators for these ballots.
- Qualification of Voters: Missouri’s election legal guidelines stipulate clear {qualifications} for voter registration, emphasizing the prevention of non-U.S. residents from collaborating in state elections. As outlined in RSMo § 115.133, voters should be U.S. residents and residents of Missouri, with a minimal age requirement. Current remarks by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft spotlight difficulties in verifying citizenship throughout voter registration, regardless of using accessible DMV information. An affidavit obtained by a ballot challenger in St. Charles County raises important considerations in regards to the integrity of voter registration processes. Whereas Missouri legislation mandates verification of U.S. citizenship to register, this incident suggests potential vulnerabilities within the system. It underscores the necessity for strong verification mechanisms to stop unauthorized voter registration and guarantee compliance with state statutes like RSMo § 115.133. This case exemplifies the challenges election authorities face in sustaining correct voter rolls and their ongoing efforts to safeguard electoral processes towards such discrepancies.
(https://rumble.com/v5ga39p-the-morning-crew-with-dan-and-drew.html at mark – 2:41:12)
A current FOIA request revealed that the EAC confirmed there has by no means been any delegation of duties from the Chairman to the Govt Director.
Should you serve on a verification board, make sure that all challenges are adequately addressed earlier than certification.
Further documentation signifies that the EAC has constantly maintained that no duties have ever been sub-delegated from the Fee Chairman to the Govt Director.
Per Missouri legislation, the burden is now on the Election Administrators and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to deal with these violations to the challengers’ satisfaction. If no corrections are made, Missouri will be unable to legally certify their election outcomes.
