Missouri’s top election official said Tuesday he’ll need far more money than Gov. Eric Greitens offered in his budget plan last week to effectively implement the state’s new photo ID law before August elections. The law, pushed by Republican legislators and approved by voters last year, requires Missourians to show a photo ID before voting or sign a legal document swearing they are who they say they are. In response to heavy Democratic criticism that it would prevent the elderly, disabled and poor from voting, Republicans also required the state to pay for IDs for those who can’t afford them. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is tasked with letting voters know about those changes, estimated it would take between $1.1 million and $1.5 million to do so in the next fiscal year.
That’s a far cry from the roughly $5.2 million former secretary Jason Kander, a Democrat, requested over two years. It’s also far more than the $100,000 the governor proposed for his office’s role in the law’s implementation.
Ashcroft said he could cut millions from Kander’s proposal by cutting TV ads and mailers about the changes to every registered voter in the state, instead relying on partnerships with community organizations and face-to-face interactions with potential voters.
Full Article: Ashcroft says governor’s offer isn’t enough money for Voter ID | | stltoday.com.