2024 Missouri Update: Seven Missouri County Poll Challengers File Pre-Election Challenges on Election Law Violations

This article originally appeared on JoeHoft.com and was republished with permission.

Poll challengers in multiple counties in Missouri Submit Statewide Uniform Election Challenges on election law violations.

Seven counties in Missouri have filed a total of at least six uniform election challenges. St. Charles County has been particularly active, with 13 poll challengers submitting six pre-election challenges related to potential violations of election law for the upcoming November 5th Missouri General Election.

The counties involved include Clay, St. Charles, Platte, Clinton, Boone, St. Louis City, and Jackson.

According to Missouri Revised Statutes § 115.105(2), the role of a poll challenger is to address perceived violations of election law.

#MissouriGrassroots coming in HOT! https://t.co/Qo7jmFDWzO pic.twitter.com/vEkHgE3JPJ

— Kristen Haftrak (@Kristen_Haftrak) October 25, 2024

The recent challenges detail several key issues:

1. Early Voting: There are claims that early voting is unconstitutional. Although Missouri passed a law allowing early voting two years ago, challengers argue that any such measure requires a two-thirds majority vote from the legislature to amend the constitution, which is explicitly mandated. Missouri law specifies that general elections are to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years, as outlined in Title 2 U.S.C. § 7 and the Missouri Constitution. The “no excuse” early voting that commenced on October 22, 2024, is therefore seen as a violation of these statutes.
2. Laboratory Accreditations: Challenges have been raised regarding the necessary signatures for laboratory accreditations, which must come from the EAC Chairman, not the executive director. Additionally, these accreditations must include an expiration date and are valid for only two years.
3. Voter Intent: Two specific challenges address issues of voter intent: one relates to the placement of distinguishing marks beside candidates as required by Missouri Statute, and the other concerns tabulators’ inability to recognize voter intent according to the law.
4. Folded Ballots: Missouri election laws clearly dictate that paper ballots must be folded to conceal distinguishing marks before being cast. Since tabulators do not read folded ballots, this presents another concern.
5. Hand Counting: Current state laws differentiate between counting optical scan ballots and paper ballots. The latter should be counted by hand, and instructions do not permit the use of tabulators for these ballots.
6. Qualification of Voters: Missouri’s election laws stipulate clear qualifications for voter registration, emphasizing the prevention of non-U.S. citizens from participating in state elections. As outlined in RSMo § 115.133, voters must be U.S. citizens and residents of Missouri, with a minimum age requirement. Recent remarks by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft highlight difficulties in verifying citizenship during voter registration, despite the use of available DMV data. An affidavit received by a poll challenger in St. Charles County raises significant concerns about the integrity of voter registration processes. While Missouri law mandates verification of U.S. citizenship to register, this incident suggests potential vulnerabilities in the system. It underscores the need for robust verification mechanisms to prevent unauthorized voter registration and ensure compliance with state statutes like RSMo § 115.133. This case exemplifies the challenges election authorities face in maintaining accurate voter rolls and their ongoing efforts to safeguard electoral processes against such discrepancies.

(https://rumble.com/v5ga39p-the-morning-crew-with-dan-and-drew.html at mark – 2:41:12)

A recent FOIA request revealed that the EAC confirmed there has never been any delegation of duties from the Chairman to the Executive Director.

If you serve on a verification board, ensure that all challenges are adequately addressed before certification.

Additional documentation indicates that the EAC has consistently maintained that no duties have ever been sub-delegated from the Commission Chairman to the Executive Director.

Per Missouri law, the burden is now on the Election Directors and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to address these violations to the challengers’ satisfaction. If no corrections are made, Missouri will not be able to legally certify their election results.