House orders perfection of bill to formalize monthly removal of deceased voters

The House voted to order House Bill 18-12 for perfection and printing after the sponsor described the measure as codifying the existing practice of transmitting lists of deceased voters to election officials.

The gentleman from Lafayette, the bill sponsor, said the bill “directs the Department of Health and Senior Services to send a list of deceased voters to the secretary of state's office” and that the secretary will then distribute that list “to the election authorities in the state of Missouri,” enabling county clerks to remove names from voter rolls on a regular schedule. The sponsor told members the change would formalize what is already happening and “will be done every 30 days.”

An amendment offered by the sponsor and adopted on the floor adds a 10‑day window to allow the secretary of state's office to compile names and forward them to county election authorities. The amendment, the sponsor said, simply “puts some time deadlines on the bill and allow[s] the secretary of state's office and the voter election authorities a 10 day window in order to accomplish their task.” Representative from Clay voiced support for the clarification and called the amendment “very reasonable.”

Committee members who spoke in favor described the bill as codifying current practice rather than creating a new requirement. Representative from Benton, chair of the elections committee, said it was “very common sense” and promoted “election integrity.”

The House ordered the bill to be perfected and printed. No final enactment vote on the bill's substantive text occurred on the floor during this session; the immediate action directed its progression through the perfection and printing process.