Gov. Blunt calls for appeal
On Thursday a state judge threw out the controversial Missouri voter ID Law, calling it “too great a burden on the elderly and poor.”
Voters in the November 8 election would have had to present a valid photo I.D. Those without a photo ID could have cast provisional ballots, so long as they could present a birth certificate, which has proven to be a burden on disabled, elderly, poor and women, especially those who have divorced.
Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan ruled in favor of those groups who claimed that the requirements of driver’s license and nondriver IDs are an unconstitutional “impermissible additional qualification to vote.”
Secretary of state Robin Carnahan release the following statement today:
“I am pleased with Judge Callahan’s ruling to stop the photo ID law, signed in June by Governor Blunt, from going into effect for the November election. This ruling affirms my concern that the law clearly jeopardizes the constitutional voting rights of many Missourians.
“As Missouri’s chief elections official, it’s my job to ensure fair elections, and elections cannot be fair if eligible voters are not allowed to vote.”
Gov. Matt Blunt, who upheld the law in May said he was disappointed and would like the state to appeal.