Outgoing Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee chairman Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) says he’s prepared to take legal action, if Columbia’s school board doesn’t certify his name for the April school board ballot. Chairman Basye joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri.” Tuesday was the final day to file for Columbia’s April school board race, but Basye says CPS authorities wouldn’t let him inside the Aslin building to complete paperwork. He contacted Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office, and ended up filing at Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon’s office. CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark tells 939 the Eagle that December 27 is a district holiday and that Aslin offices were closed. She says filing was available by appointment and that appointments had to be made by December 22. Chairman Basye says that’s a violation of state law, and that candidates should be able to file on the final day without an appointment. Ms. Baumstark says filing isn’t certification, and that candidates must be certified and the board must authorize a notice of election and sample ballot before candidates are officially placed on a ballot. Baumstark says the board must do this by the end of January as required by law. She says the board plans to do this at their January 9 meeting:
Ledford: DOJ monitors are in mid-Missouri’s Cole County today
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Missouri’s Western District says the Justice Department has monitors outside unnamed Cole County polling locations today to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws. U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Don Ledford tells 939 the Eagle that the DOJ monitors will not go inside the buildings.
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Cole County clerk Steve Korsmeyer met with the Justice Department on Monday. Ashcroft tells 939 “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that the DOJ expresses concerns about accessibility issues.
“If they are truly worried about whether or not the hallways at the polling places are wide enough or whether the ramps are the right grade or not, they don’t have to check that on election day,” Ashcroft tells listeners.
Secretary Ashcroft says the Justice Department has no jurisdiction to be inside a polling place, unless invited by the local election authority. He’s fine with them having monitors outside the 25 foot electioneering restriction, adding that Missouri leads the nation in election integrity and in accessible, secure voting.
Ashcroft is also unhappy that the Justice Department didn’t notify him when they contacted Cole County’s clerk directly.
“They intentionally bypassed my office, even though if they have problems they like to sue me. But when they wanted to come in and do this inspection, they tried to tiptoe around our office and I applaud the (Cole County) clerk for letting us know,” says Ashcroft.
The Justice Department is in 24 states today, including in Cole County. DOJ says its civil rights division will take complaints from the public nationwide regarding possible violations of federal voting rights laws.
Secretary Ashcroft says DOJ should consider Missouri the example for other states when it comes to sound, non-partisan elections. Click here to listen to the full interview with Ashcroft.
(AUDIO): Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft discusses DOJ monitors on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Don Ledford of Missouri’s Western District tells 939 the Eagle that the Justice Department will have monitors outside Cole County polling locations on Tuesday, to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws. Ledford says the DOJ monitors will not go inside the buildings at the polling locations. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Cole County clerk Steve Korsmeyer met today with DOJ representatives in Jefferson City to discuss the issue. Secretary Ashcroft tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that the Justice Department bypassed his office by contacting the Cole County clerk directly:
Cole County judge dismisses Missouri NAACP’s lawsuit against state’s new voter ID law
You’ll need to show your voter identification when you head to your Missouri polling location in November, or you’ll be casting a provisional ballot.
That’s according to Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon, a Democrat. She’s referring to Thursday’s ruling from Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem. He has dismissed the Missouri NAACP’s lawsuit against the voter ID law.
The NAACP and other critics of photo ID say it will disenfranchise voters. Missouri Republican supporters of photo ID say it will ensure election integrity.
Missouri GOP Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is praising the ruling, saying the new law makes it easier to vote but harder to cheat. Democratic lawmakers like State Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) say voter ID will disenfranchise voters, especially the elderly. Representative Smith has said that any provision you put between someone and the ballot box will slow down voting.
Deadline approaching for Missourians to register to vote for November election
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the deadline for you to register to vote in Missouri’s November general election.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s (R) office notes that if you mail your voter registration application in, it must be postmarked by Wednesday.
You can also submit your voter registration application online, or you can register in-person at your county clerk’s office in mid-Missouri. Boone County clerk Brianna Lennon’s office is located at the Roger Wilson government center in downtown Columbia, and Cole County clerk Steve Korsmeyer’s office is at the Cole County Courthouse, a few blocks from the Statehouse in Jefferson City.
Secretary Ashcroft notes there are three qualifications to vote in the November general election: you must be at least 18 years old, you must be a U.S. citizen and a Missouri resident.
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