Bill > SJR78

This Joint Resolution proposes amendments to Article VIII of the Missouri Constitution concerning elections. It will be submitted to voters at the next general election in November 2024 or a special election. The key changes include clarifying that only U.S. citizens over 18 who are residents of the state and their local voting district can vote, with specific exclusions for individuals with court-appointed guardians due to mental incapacity or those involuntarily confined in mental institutions, and allowing for the exclusion of felons or those convicted of election-related crimes. It also mandates that all elections be conducted by paper ballot or a legally prescribed mechanical method, and importantly, it limits voters to a single vote per issue and a number of votes for an office equal to the number of open seats, explicitly prohibiting the ranking of candidates, though an exception is made for certain nonpartisan municipal elections that already have ordinances allowing multiple votes. Furthermore, it establishes that the candidate receiving the most votes in a party primary will be the sole representative for that party in the general election, with an exception for nonpartisan municipal elections that use a preliminary election system where more than one candidate advances.