The Missouri House of Representatives approved House Joint Resolution 131 on April 6, 2022. The bill proposes modifying the state constitution as follows:
- Providing that “only citizens of the United States” may vote in elections for which they are eligible (existing language specifies that “all citizens of the United States” may vote in elections for which they are eligible).
- Providing that voters “shall have only a single vote for each office or issue for which such voter is eligible to vote,” thereby barring the use of ranked-choice voting and other alternative voting systems.
- Requiring that all voting machines “shall be tested and certified as secure prior to each election.”
- Requiring that all voting machines must provide “an individual, permanent paper record for each vote cast,” which must be preserved for use in any election audit.
The Missouri House of Representatives approved HJR 131 with a 97-45 vote on April 6, largely along party lines. One Democrat joined 96 Republicans in favor of the bill, and three Republicans joined 42 Democrats in opposition. The bill is now pending in the Missouri Senate, where it has been referred to the Local Government and Elections Committee. If the proposed amendment is approved by both chambers of the state legislature, it will go to the voters for final approval in November. A simple majority vote is required to amend the state constitution.
The Missouri General Assembly is a bicameral legislature composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. The 2022 session convened on Jan. 5 and will adjourn May 13. Ballotpedia is currently tracking 21 election-related bills in Missouri.
Missouri is one of 23 Republican state government trifectas in the U.S. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the General Assembly. There is a 24-10 Republican majority in the Senate and a 108-49 majority in the House.
Learn More
