Missouri Amendment 3, Redistricting Process and Criteria, Lobbying, and Campaign Finance Amendment (2020)
Missouri Amendment 3 | |
---|---|
Election date November 3, 2020 | |
Topic Elections and campaigns | |
Status Approved | |
Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
Missouri Amendment 3, the Redistricting Process and Criteria, Lobbying, and Campaign Finance Amendment was on the ballot in Missouri as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020.[1] Amendment 3 was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the Missouri Constitution to enact the following changes:
|
A "no" vote opposed amending the Missouri Constitution, thereby maintaining:
|
Amendment 3 amended Article III of the Missouri Constitution to change certain provisions of Missouri Amendment 1 passed in 2018 with 62% of the vote.
Election results
Missouri Amendment 3 |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
1,489,503 | 51.01% | |||
No | 1,430,358 | 48.99% |
Overview
What did Amendment 3 change about redistricting, lobbying, and campaign finance in Missouri?
- See also: Measure design
Amendment 3 returned the state to the use of bipartisan commissions appointed by the governor for legislative redistricting and eliminated the nonpartisan state demographer, which was created by the approval of Amendment 1 (2018). The bipartisan commissions were renamed the House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission and the Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission and consisted of 20 members each. The amendment also changed the criteria used to draw district maps. It also changed the threshold of lobbyists' gifts from $5 to $0 and lowered the campaign contribution limit for state Senate campaigns from $2,500 to $2,400.[2]
How did Amendment 3 relate to Amendment 1 (2018)?
Amendment 1 was approved in 2018 with 62 percent of the vote. The amendment created the nonpartisan state demographer responsible for state legislative redistricting. Amendment 1 also prohibited the Missouri State Legislature from passing laws allowing for unlimited campaign contributions to candidates for the state legislature and set campaign contribution limits for legislative candidates and candidate committees at $2,500 from one person to elect an individual to the state Senate and $2,000 from one person to elect an individual to the state House.[3]
Amendment 3 returned the state to the use of bipartisan redistricting commissions and lowered the campaign contribution limits and lobbyist's gift threshold established by the 2018 amendment. The 2020 amendment also maintained the criteria of competitiveness and partisan fairness that was enacted in 2018, but it required that population, voter rights abridgment, contiguous districts, simple shapes, and the rules for counties be considered with a higher priority.[2]
Who was behind the campaigns surrounding Amendment 3?
- See also: Support and Opposition
Amendment 3 was sponsored by Senator Dan Hegeman (R). One ballot measure committee, Fair Missouri, was registered in support of the amendment. As of December 3, 2020, the committee had raised $308,815.[4]
Clean Missouri led the campaign in opposition to the amendment. The committee had raised $7.6 million for this election cycle. Clean Missouri was the committee that sponsored Amendment 1 (2018). In 2018, Clean Missouri and an allied committee raised $5.6 million, including $1.0 million from the Action Now Initiative and $1.0 million from the National Education Association.[4]
Measure design
- See also: Text of measure
Click on the arrows (▼) below for summaries of the different provisions of Missouri Amendment 3.
Redistricting process and criteria comparison: Table comparing Amendment 3 (2020), Amendment 1 (2018), and the constitution prior to 2018
Process and criteria prior to 2018 | Process and criteria enacted by Amendment 1 (2018) |
Process and criteria proposed by Amendment 3 (2020) |
---|---|---|
House bipartisan commission (18 members) and senate bipartisan commission (10 members) appointed to draw state legislative districts | Non-partisan state demographer hired by the state auditor to draw state legislative districts and submit plans to house and senate apportionment commissions | House and senate bipartisan commissions (20 members each) appointed by state and congressional district committees from each party to draw state legislative districts |
70 percent of the commissioners approve the map to adopt it | Demographer's map adopted as is unless 70 percent of the commissioners approve changes | 70 percent of the commissioners approve the map to adopt it |
Considered population, other political subdivisions, and contiguous districts | Added partisan fairness and competitiveness, which is calculated using the electoral performance index, to the criteria | Population, voter rights abridgment, contiguous districts, and simple shapes are given higher priority than partisan fairness and competitiveness |
Did not consider partisan fairness and competitiveness | The percent of wasted votes calculated to determine partisan fairness and competitiveness must be as close to 0% as practicable | The percent of wasted votes calculated to determine partisan fairness and competitiveness cannot be greater than 15% |
Redistricting commissions: Changes to the house and senate redistricting commissions
Under Amendment 3, the commissions were formed from appointed nominees proposed by state and congressional district committees of each party. Congressional district committees would each elect two nominees, and state committees would elect five nominees to submit to the governor. The governor would then appoint one nominee from each congressional district committee list and two nominees from each state committee list to each commission. Five months after their appointment, the commissions must submit redistricting plans and maps to the Missouri Secretary of State. After submission, the plans and maps will be subject to public hearings. At least 70 percent of the commission must approve the final map within six months after the commission is appointed.[2]
Redistricting criteria and process: Changes to the criteria and process used to draw the redistricting plan
Amendment 3 removed the requirement that districts are based on the total population of the state and replaces it with the requirement that districts are "drawn on the basis of one person, one vote" and are as equal in population as possible.[2]
Amendment 3 required the commission to use the electoral performance index to simulate hypothetical statewide elections to determine competitiveness. The index would also be used to calculate wasted votes, which are "votes cast for a losing candidate or for a winning candidate in excess of the threshold needed for victory." Amendment 3 required the difference between the two parties' total wasted votes, divided by the total votes cast for the two parties to not exceed 15%. Amendment 1 (2018) required the difference between the two parties' total wasted votes to be as close to 0% as possible.[2]
Legal challenges to the redistricting plan: Criteria for filing a legal challenge against the enacted redistricting plan
Amendment 1 (2018) did not limit who would have standing to file a legal challenge against the redistricting plan drafted by the non-partisan demographer and did not limit the judge from ordering the whole redistricting plan to be redrawn.[2]
Lobbying and campaign finance: Changes to lobbying and campaign finance policies
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[2]
“ | Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
State governmental entities expect no cost or savings. Individual local governmental entities expect significant decreased revenues of a total unknown amount.[6] |
” |
The ballot title was rewritten by the Missouri Court of Appeals due to a lawsuit brought against the original title written by the Missouri General Assembly. Click here to read about the lawsuit and the original title.
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:[2]
“ | A 'yes' vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to reduce the limits on campaign contributions that candidates for state senator can accept from individuals or entities by $100 per election. There is no change for candidates for state representative.
The amendment prohibits state legislators and their employees from accepting a gift of any value (which is currently $5) from paid lobbyists or the lobbyists’ clients. The amendment modifies the criteria for redrawing legislative districts and changes the process for redrawing state legislative district boundaries during redistricting by giving redistricting responsibility to a bipartisan commission, renames them, and increases membership to 20 by adding four commissioners appointed by the Governor from nominations by the two major political party's state committees. A 'no' vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding campaign contributions, lobbyist gifts, and the process and criteria for redistricting. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.[6] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article III, Missouri Constitution
The measure amended sections 2, 3, and 7 of Article III of the state constitution.
The following underlined text was added , and struck-through text was deleted :[2]
Note: Use your mouse to scroll over the below text to see the full text.
Section 2: After December 6, 2018, no person serving as a member of or employed by the General Assembly shall act or serve as a paid lobbyist, register as a paid lobbyist, or solicit prospective employers or clients to represent as a paid lobbyist during the time of such service until the expiration of two calendar years after the conclusion of the session of the general assembly in which the member or employee last sewed and where such service was after the effective date of this section. (a) No serving as a member of or employed by the General Assembly shall accept directly or indirectly a gift of any tangible or intangible item, service, or thing of value from any paid lobbyist or lobbyist principal (c) The General Assembly shall make no law authorizing unlimited campaign contributions to candidates for the General Assembly, nor any law that circumvents the contribution limits contained in this Constitution. In addition to other campaign contribution limitations or restrictions provided for by law. The amount of contributions made to or accepted by any candidate or candidate committee from any other than the candidate in any one election
The contribution limits and other restrictions of this section shall also apply to any person exploring a candidacy for
(d) No contribution to a candidate for legislative office shall be made or accepted, directly or indirectly, in a fictitious name, in the name of another person, or by or through another person in such a manner as to, or with the intent to, conceal the identity of the actual source of the contribution. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a contribution to a candidate for public office is made or accepted with the intent to circumvent the limitations on contributions imposed in this section when a contribution is received from a committee or organization that is primarily funded by a single person, individual, or other committee that has already reached its contribution limit under any law relating to contribution limitations. A committee or organization shall be deemed to be primarily funded by a single person), individual, or other committee when the committee or organization receives more than fifty percent of its annual funding from that single person, individual, or other committee. (e) In no circumstance shall a candidate be found to have violated limits on acceptance of contributions if the Missouri Ethics Commission, its successor agency, or a court determines that a candidate has taken no action to indicate acceptance of or acquiescence to the making of an expenditure that is deemed a contribution pursuant to this section. (f) No candidate shall accept contributions from any federal political action committee unless the committee has filed the same financial disclosure reports that would be required of a Missouri political action committee. Section 3 (a)
Section 7 (a)
If Members of the commission shall be disqualified from holding office as members of the general assembly for four years following the date of the filing by the commission of its final
|
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020
Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The Missouri Court of Appeals[7] wrote the ballot language for this measure.
|
Support
Vote Yes on 3 For a Cleanner Missouri led the campaign in support of Amendment 3.[4]
Supporters
Officials
- Missouri State Senator Mike Cierpiot (R)
- Missouri State Senator Ed Emery (R)
- Missouri State Senator Dan Hegeman (R)
- Missouri State Senator Denny Hoskins (R)
- Missouri State Senator Cindy O'Laughlin (R)
- Missouri State Senator Bob Onder (R)
- Missouri State Senator Dave Schatz (R)
- Missouri State Senator Bill White (R)
- Missouri State Representative Sonya Anderson (R)
- Missouri State Representative Allen Andrews (R)
- Missouri State Representative Ben Baker (R)
- Missouri State Representative Rick Brattin (R)
- Missouri State Representative Jeff Coleman (R)
- Missouri State Representative Dirk Deaton (R)
- Missouri State Representative Chris Dinkins (R)
- Missouri State Representative Hannah Kelly (R)
- Missouri State Representative Don Mayhew (R)
- Missouri State Representative Holly Rehder (R)
- Missouri State Representative Sara Walsh (R)
- Missouri State Representative David Wood (R)
- Missouri State Representative Dale Wright (R)
- Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R)
Candidates
- Ryan Derks (R) - Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives
Political Parties
Unions
Organizations
Arguments
Opposition
Clean Missouri led the No on 3 campaign in opposition to Amendment 3. Click here to view a full list of the campaign's endorsements.[8]
Opponents
Officials
- Former U.S. Senator John Danforth
- U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay (D)
- U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D)
- Missouri State Senator Lauren Arthur (D)
- Missouri State Senator Lincoln Hough (R)
- Missouri State Senator Karla May (D)
- Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D)
- Missouri State Senator John Rizzo (D)
- Missouri State Senator Jill Schupp (D)
- Missouri State Senator Scott Sifton (D)
- Missouri State Senator Gina Walsh (D)
- Missouri State Senator Brian Williams (D)
- Missouri State Representative Rasheen Aldridge (Nonpartisan)
- Missouri State Representative LaDonna Appelbaum (D)
- Missouri State Representative Gretchen Bangert (D)
- Missouri State Representative Donna Baringer (D)
- Missouri State Representative Jerome Barnes (D)
- Missouri State Representative Chuck Basye (R)
- Missouri State Representative Doug Beck (D)
- Missouri State Representative Ashley Bland Manlove (D)
- Missouri State Representative LaKeySha Bosley (D)
- Missouri State Representative Paula Brown (D)
- Missouri State Representative Richard Brown (D)
- Missouri State Representative Ingrid Burnett (D)
- Missouri State Representative Steve Butz (D)
- Missouri State Representative Jon Carpenter (D)
- Missouri State Representative Doug Clemens (D)
- Missouri State Representative Mark Ellebracht (D)
- Missouri State Representative Alan Gray (D)
- Missouri State Representative Alan Green (D)
- Missouri State Representative Dave Griffith (R)
- Missouri State Representative Trish Gunby (D)
- Missouri State Representative Tom Hannegan (R)
- Missouri State Representative Steve Helms (R)
- Missouri State Representative Tom Hurst (R)
- Missouri State Representative Keri Ingle (D)
- Missouri State Representative Kip Kendrick (D)
- Missouri State Representative Bill Kidd (R)
- Missouri State Representative Deb Lavender (D)
- Missouri State Representative Tony Lovasco (R)
- Missouri State Representative Ian Mackey (D)
- Missouri State Representative Tracy McCreery (D)
- Missouri State Representative Peter Merideth (D)
- Missouri State Representative Rocky Miller (R)
- Missouri State Representative Gina Mitten (D)
- Missouri State Representative Judy Morgan (D)
- Missouri State Representative Jay Mosley (D)
- Missouri State Representative James Neely (R)
- Missouri State Representative Michael Arthur Person
- Missouri State Representative Tommie Pierson Jr. (D)
- Missouri State Representative Jeff Pogue (R)
- Missouri State Representative Wiley Price (D)
- Missouri State Representative Crystal Quade (D)
- Missouri State Representative Greg Razer (D)
- Missouri State Representative Steven Roberts (R)
- Missouri State Representative Wes Rogers (Nonpartisan)
- Missouri State Representative Rory Rowland (D)
- Missouri State Representative Joe Runions (D)
- Missouri State Representative Matt Sain (D)
- Missouri State Representative Robert Sauls (D)
- Missouri State Representative Mark Sharp (D)
- Missouri State Representative John Simmons (R)
- Missouri State Representative Martha Stevens (D)
- Missouri State Representative Sarah Unsicker (D)
- Missouri State Representative Rudy Veit (R)
- Missouri State Representative Barbara Anne Washington (D)
- Missouri State Representative Kevin Windham Jr. (D)
- Missouri State Representative Yolanda Young (D)
- St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson (D)
- Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas
- Columbia Mayor Brian Treece
- St. Louis County Executive Sam Page (D)
Candidates
- Craig O'Dear (Independent) - Former candidate for U.S. senate
Former Officials
- Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
- Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James
Corporations
Unions
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
- Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
- Coalition of Labor Union Women
- SEIU Missouri
Organizations
- American Association of University Women
- Common Cause
- Democracy for America
- Empower Missouri
- Fair Count
- Heartland Alliance for Progress
- Indivisible Kansas City
- League of Women Voters of Missouri
- Missouri AFL-CIO
- Missouri Association for Trial Attorneys
- Missouri NAACP State Conference
- Missouri National Education Association
- NARAL Pro-Choice America
- Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri
- Sierra Club Political Committee
Individuals
- John Bowman (Independent) - St. Louis County NAACP President
- Louise Wilkerson -
Arguments
Campaign advertisements
The following campaign advertisements were produced by Clean Missouri and ACLU of Missouri:[9][10]
No on Amendment 3 advertisement |
Vote No On Amendment 3 advertisement |
Campaign finance
There are two ballot measure committees, Fair Missouri and Missouri Farm Bureau Fund for Real Representation, registered in support of Amendment 3 that have raised over $308,815. One ballot measure committee, Clean Missouri, registered in opposition to Amendment 3. It reported $7.6 million in contributions.[4]
Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Support | $237,672.26 | $71,142.74 | $308,815.00 | $238,978.82 | $310,121.56 |
Oppose | $7,221,299.24 | $360,093.76 | $7,581,393.00 | $7,178,611.78 | $7,538,705.54 |
Support
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of Amendment 3.[4]
Committees in support of Amendment 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
Fair Missouri | $205,691.36 | $40,978.36 | $246,669.72 | $201,076.64 | $242,055.00 |
Missouri Farm Bureau Fund for Real Representation | $31,980.90 | $30,164.38 | $62,145.28 | $37,902.18 | $68,066.56 |
Total | $237,672.26 | $71,142.74 | $308,815.00 | $238,978.82 | $310,121.56 |
In addition to the committees formed to campaign in support of Amendment 3, six other political action committees made a combined $36,977.91 in expenditures supporting the measure. They are listed below:
- Missouri Right to Life PAC: $2,325.26
- Republicans of Pike County: $131.66
- Missouri Farm Bureau Federation State PAC: $9,961.50
- Don't Tread on MO PAC: $18,758.00
- Missouri Federation of College Republicans: $325.00
- Northwest Missouri Conservatives PAC: $5,476.49
Donors
The following table shows the top donors to the committees registered in support of Amendment 3.[4]
Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
Republican State Committee | $200,000.00 | $0.00 | $200,000.00 |
Missouri Alliance for Freedom | $0.00 | $40,978.36 | $40,978.36 |
Opposition
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to Amendment 3.[4]
Committees in opposition to Amendment 3 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
Clean Missouri | $7,221,299.24 | $360,093.76 | $7,581,393.00 | $7,178,611.78 | $7,538,705.54 |
Total | $7,221,299.24 | $360,093.76 | $7,581,393.00 | $7,178,611.78 | $7,538,705.54 |
Donors
The following table shows the top donors to the committee.[4]
Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
---|---|---|---|
National Education Association | $1,500,000.00 | $0.00 | $1,500,000.00 |
Action Now Initiative | $1,337,500.00 | $0.00 | $1,337,500.00 |
North Fund | $1,024,500.00 | $138,000.00 | $1,162,500.00 |
Open Society | $500,000.00 | $0.00 | $500,000.00 |
Strategic Victory Fund | $500,000.00 | $0.00 | $500,000.00 |
Methodology
To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.
Media editorials
- See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements
Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on Amendment 3. If you are aware of a media editorial board position that is not listed below, please email the editorial link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Support
Ballotpedia had not identified media editorial boards in support of the ballot measure.
Opposition
Background
Missouri Amendment 1, Lobbying, Campaign Finance, and Redistricting Initiative (2018)
Amendment 1 created a position called the nonpartisan state demographer, which was tasked with drawing state legislative districts. The state demographer was to be selected from a pool of applicants, with the state auditor, state Senate majority leader, and state Senate minority leader involved in the selection process. The state demographer was required to file the proposed map with the existing commissions, which were allowed to amend the demographer's map via a 70 percent vote of the commissioners, provided that amendments met Amendment 1's redistricting criteria. If the commissions made no changes or could not approve changes to the demographer's map, then Amendment 1 required that the demographer's map be enacted. Amendment 1 required the state demographer and commissions to consider specific criteria, including what the initiative calls partisan fairness and competitiveness, contiguousness, compactness, and the boundaries of political subdivisions.[11]
Amendment 1 prohibited the Missouri State Legislature from passing laws allowing for unlimited campaign contributions to candidates for the state legislature. Amendment 1 established campaign contribution limits for legislative candidates and their committees for a single election cycle to $2,500 per person to a state Senate candidate and $2,000 per person to a state House candidate. The measure prohibited making or accepting contributions using a fake name, using the name of another person, or through another person to conceal the actual donor's identity. Amendment 1 required legislators and legislative employees to wait two years after the conclusion of the legislative session in which the legislator or employee served to become a paid lobbyist. Amendment 1 also prohibited legislators and legislative employees from accepting gifts from paid lobbyists in excess of $5.
Methods of redistricting in U.S.
In general, states vest one of the following three entities with redistricting authority:[12]
- State legislatures: In 37 of the 43 states required to conduct congressional redistricting, state legislatures have the final authority to draft and implement congressional district maps.[13] Likewise, in 37 of the 50 states, state legislatures are primarily responsible for state legislative redistricting. In these states, legislatures typically adopt district lines by a simple majority vote in each chamber. A state's governor may usually veto the legislature's redistricting plan.[14]
- Independent commissions: The composition of independent redistricting commissions varies from state to state. However, in all cases, the direct participation of elected officials is limited. Independent redistricting commissions exist in six states (in four of these states, independent commissions draw congressional and state legislative boundaries; in two, independent commissions draw only state legislative district boundaries).
- Politician commissions: The composition of politician redistricting commissions varies from state to state. For example, in some states, specific officials (e.g., governors, secretaries of state, etc.) are de facto commission members; in others, legislative leaders appoint other legislators to serve as commissioners. In all cases, elected officials may participate directly by sitting on the commissions. In two of the 43 states required to conduct congressional redistricting, politician commissions are responsible for drawing the maps. In seven states, politician commissions are responsible for state legislative redistricting.
Procedures for state legislative redistricting in U.S.
In 33 of the 50 states, state legislatures play the dominant role in state legislative redistricting. Commissions draw state legislative district lines in 14 states. In three states, hybrid systems are used, in which state legislature share redistricting authority with commissions. See the map and table below for further details.[14]
Campaign finance ballot measures in Missouri
- See also: Campaign finance on the ballot
Voters in Missouri had approved two ballot measures related to campaign finance between 1990 and 2018.
Proposition A (1994)
In 1994, voters approved Proposition A, which limited campaign contributions from one person or committee to another person or committee to $100 or $200 per election cycle, depending on the population of the legislative district. Proposition A also required individuals who contributed more than $25 to disclose their employer or occupation. [15][16] The Missouri State Legislature voted to repeal Proposition A in 2008. Gov. Matt Blunt (R) signed the repeal legislation.[17][18]
Amendment 2 (2016)
Voters approved a campaign finance ballot measure, titled Amendment 2, in 2016. Amendment 2 limited campaign contributions to candidates in state and judicial elections. The measure was designed to do the following:
- prohibit candidates for state and judicial offices from receiving more than $2,600 from any one individual, other than the candidate himself or herself, per election.
- cap contributions from any one individual or committee to a political party at $25,000 per election.
- prohibit corporations and labor unions from making direct contributions, although they could still form continuing committees.
- prohibit one candidate's committee from contributing to another candidate's committee.
- prohibit candidates from accepting funds from out-of-state committees.
- ban committees and parties from accepting contributions from non-citizens, foreign governments, and foreign corporations not permitted to do business in the state.
- permit contributions under $25 to remain anonymous.
- mandate that limits on campaign contributions be adjusted every four years relative to inflation.
On May 5, 2017, Judge Ortrie Smith of the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri ruled that sections of Amendment 1, but not the entire amendment, were unconstitutional. The sections of the amendment ruled unconstitutional were:[19]
- cap on the contributions amount from any one individual to candidates for state or judicial offices at $2,600.
- ban corporations and unions from making contributions to campaign, candidate, and party committees.
- ban political action committees from receiving contributions from entities other than those formed under chapters 347 to 360 of Missouri Revised Statutes.
- ban political action committees from receiving contributions from other political action committees.
- ban committees from accepting contributions from foreign corporations.
Election policy on the ballot in 2020
In 2020, voters in 14 states voted on 18 ballot measures addressing election-related policies. One of the measures addressed campaign finance, one were related to election dates, five addressed election systems, three addressed redistricting, five addressed suffrage, and three addressed term limits.
Click Show to read details about the election-related measures on statewide ballots in 2020.
Election-related policy ballot measures in 2020 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Campaign finance
Election dates
Election systems
Redistricting
Suffrage
Term limits and term lengths
|
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Missouri Constitution
In Missouri, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment must be passed by a simple majority vote in each house of the Missouri State Legislature.
Amendment 3 was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 38 on January 8, 2020. On February 10, 2020, the state Senate passed SJR 38 in a vote of 22-9. Of the 23 Republicans in the Senate, 22 voted in favor of SJR 38, one voted against it. All eight Democrats voted against it. On May 13, 2020, the state House passed SJR 38 in a vote of 98-56 with eight absent. There was one seat vacant at the time of the vote.[32][33]
|
|
Pippens et al. v. Ashcroft
Lawsuit overview | |
Issue: Ballot title; Whether the ballot title accurately explains the amendment and its effects | |
Court: Cole County Circuit Court | |
Ruling: Ruled in favor of plaintiffs | |
Plaintiff(s): Barbara Pippens, John Bohney, Cheryl Hibbeler, Rebecca Shaw, Bob Minor, James Harmon, Gene Davison, and Pat McBride | Defendant(s): Secretary of State John R. Ashcroft, Senator Dave Schatz (R), Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr (R), and Senator Dan Hegeman (R) |
Plaintiff argument: The ballot title drafted by the Missouri General Assembly does not accurately describe the effects of the amendment because it does not mention the nonpartisan demographer and is therefore misleading to voters. | Defendant argument: The ballot title of Missouri Amendment 1 (2018) did not mention the nonpartisan demographer. |
Source: U.S. News
On May 18, 2020, petition circulators for Clean Missouri, the campaign that sponsored Missouri Amendment 1 (2018), filed a lawsuit arguing that the ballot title of the proposed amendment is misleading because it does not mention the elimination of the nonpartisan demographer, which was the office established by Amendment 1 to conduct legislative redistricting in the state. Plaintiffs argued, "The General Assembly’s proposed summary statement fails to disclose that [the amendment] would eliminate the Nonpartisan State Demographer authorized to draw redistricting maps—the key mechanism voters approved to remedy partisan gerrymandering." The plaintiffs also argued that the ballot summary falsely represented that SJR 38 would create independent commissions. The lawsuit asked the Cole County circuit judge to rewrite the ballot title or order the General Assembly to do so. Senator Dan Hegeman (R), the sponsor of the amendment, said that he was confident the ballot title would be held up in court.[34][35]
On August 17, 2020, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Patricia S. Joyce ruled in favor of the petitioners and rewrote the ballot title originally drafted by the Missouri General Assembly. In her ruling, Joyce argued that "While SJR 38 proposes several other changes to Article Ill of the Constitution, all of them pale in comparison to the scope and magnitude of undoing a recent voter mandate to change Missouri's legislative redistricting rules. The 'central purpose' or 'primary objective' of SJR 38 is to effectively repeal Amendment 1. Accordingly, the summary statement must alert voters to that change in some fashion. Instead, the General Assembly's statement does not mention the change at all. It is insufficient, unfair, and must be rewritten." State officials requested an appeal in the Missouri Court of Appeals.[36]
On August 31, 2020, the Missouri Court of Appeals agreed with the lower court that "certain aspects of the official summary statement are unfair or insufficient and require revision." Judge Alok Ahuja, who wrote the opinion on behalf of the appellate court panel, said, "We believe that voters need to be informed that they are being asked to reconsider, and substantially modify, a measure which they only recently approved." The panel drafted a new ballot title for the initiative. The state did not appeal the decision to the Missouri Supreme Court.[37][38]
The original ballot title written by the state legislature, the title written by Judge Joyce, and the title written by the appellate court are below:
Written by state legislature | Written by Judge Joyce | Written by Missouri Court of Appeals |
---|---|---|
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
|
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
|
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
|
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Missouri
Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Missouri.
How to cast a vote in Missouri | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll timesIn Missouri, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[39] Registration
To vote in Missouri, one must be 18 years old, a United States citizen, and Missouri resident.[40] An applicant may print an application, pick one up from a county clerk's office, or request that an application be mailed. The completed application must be returned by mail. All returned applications must be postmarked at least 27 days prior to Election Day in order to be processed. An applicant may also register to vote online.[40] Automatic registrationMissouri does not practice automatic voter registration. Online registration
Missouri has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationMissouri does not allow same-day voter registration. Residency requirementsTo register to vote in Missouri, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. Voters may file change-of-address forms after the registration deadline, up to and including Election Day, provided that they can present photo identification upon doing so.[41] Verification of citizenshipMissouri requires those registering to vote by mail for the first time to provide a form of identification that shows proof of United States citizenship.[40] Verifying your registrationThe Missouri Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirementsMissouri requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[42][43] The following were accepted forms of identification as of April 2023. Click here for the Missouri Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information. Voters can present the following forms of information:
If a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free by filling out this form. |
Reports and analyses
- Note: The inclusion of a report, white page, or study concerning a ballot measure in this article does not indicate that Ballotpedia agrees with the conclusions of that study or that Ballotpedia necessarily considers the study to have a sound methodology, accurate conclusions, or a neutral basis. To read a full explanation of Ballotpedia's policy on the inclusion of reports and analyses, please click here. If you would like to submit a report or analysis to be considered for inclusion in this section, email editor@ballotpedia.org.
Racial impact of redistricting changes
The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit law and policy institute, released a report on how the change in redistricting procedures proposed by Amendment 3 would impact different races. The report studied how the change from counting the total population of Missouri to counting citizens over the age of 18 would affect redistricting. The report estimated that 1.5 million Missourians would not be considered in the count used for redistricting under Amendment 3. The report estimated that 21% of Missouri's white population would not be counted, 28% of the Black population, 54% of the Asian population, and 54% of the Latino population. The report concluded, "Missouri’s Black communities have endured a long and unbroken legacy of discrimination and face disparities in income, education, housing, health, and other key equity indicators when compared to their white counterparts. Limiting representation to adult citizens would likely compound and exacerbate these inequalities, deepening existing divisions."[44]
The full text of the report can be found here.
See also
External links
Support |
Opposition |
Footnotes
- ↑ Missouri State Legislature, "SJR 38," accessed February 10, 2020
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Missouri Legislature, "SJR 38 Full Text," accessed February 10, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Initiative 2018-048," November 10, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Missouri Ethics Commission, "Ballot Measures by Election Search," accessed May 26, 2020 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>
tag; name "finance" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>
tag; name "finance" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Ideal population is measured by dividing the number of districts into the statewide population data being used
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>
tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The ballot title was rewritten by the Missouri Court of Appeals due to a lawsuit brought against the original title written by the Missouri General Assembly
- ↑ Clean Missouri, "Home," accessed June 3, 2020
- ↑ YouTube, "NO on Amendment 3 | NO on Dirty Missouri," May 26, 2020
- ↑ YouTube, "Vote No on Amendment 3," October 5, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Initiative 2018-048," November 10, 2016
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed June 19, 2017
- ↑ Seven states contain only one congressional district each, rendering congressional redistricting unnecessary.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 All About Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed March 25, 2015
- ↑ University of Missouri Institute for Public Policy, "Constitutional Amendments, Statutory Revision and Referenda Submitted to the Voters by the General Assembly or by Initiative Petition, 1910–2010," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Chillicothe Constitution Tribune, "Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of Missouri," October 27, 1994
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Missouri campaign contribution limit amendment one step closer to ballot," August 26, 2016
- ↑ Columbia Daily Tribune, "McCaskill backs campaign limits, hints at independent effort to help pass ballot measure," September 2, 2016
- ↑ The Missouri Times, "Campaign contribution amendment largely overturned in federal court," May 5, 2017
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Alaska's Better Elections Initiative," accessed January 6, 2020
- ↑ Colorado General Assembly, "Senate Bill 42 (2019)," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ Florida Department of Elections, "Initiative 19-07," accessed March 14, 2019
- ↑ Massachusetts Attorney General, "Initiative 19-10: Initiative Petition for a Law to Implement Ranked-Choice Voting in Elections," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ Mississippi State Legislature, "House Concurrent Resolution 47," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Legislature, "SJR 38 Full Text," accessed February 10, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey State Legislature, "Assembly Concurrent Resolution 188," accessed July 31, 2020
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19," accessed August 10, 2020
- ↑ Virginia General Assembly, "Senate Bill 236," accessed March 5, 2020
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "SJR 15 full text," accessed March 28, 2019
- ↑ Kentucky Legislature, "House Bill 405 Text," accessed March 11, 2020
- ↑ Missouri State Senate, "SJR 14," accessed April 17, 2019
- ↑ Missouri Senate, "Vote on SJR 38," accessed February 11, 2020
- ↑ Missouri House of Representatives, "Vote on SJR 38," May 13, 2020
- ↑ U.S. News, "Lawsuits Claims Missouri GOP Redistricting Measure Is Unfair," May 18, 2020
- ↑ Clean Missouri, "Citizens Sue to Block Politicians’ Dishonest Ballot Language on Dirty Missouri Amendment," May 18, 2020
- ↑ Cole County Circuit Court, Pippens v. Ashcroft, August 17, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Court of Appeals, Pippens et. al v. Ashcroft, August 31, 2020
- ↑ CT Post, "Judges redo voter summary of Missouri redistricting measure," August 31, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State - Elections and Voting, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Missouri Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ BillTrack50, "MO HB1878," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "How To Vote," accessed October 27, 2019
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Do I need an ID to vote?" accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Gerrymandering Away Missouri’s Future," September 18, 2020
State of Missouri Jefferson City (capital) | |
---|---|
Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |