BLUNT SIGNS VOTER-DISCRIMINATION LAW

[usregimechange]

Dear Missouri Democrats:


Gov. Matt Blunt today signed Senate Bill 1014, a law that may deprive as many as 200,000 Missourians of their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. Under this new law, voters must show an approved federal or Missouri photo identification card to be eligible to cast a ballot.


While the Missouri Democratic Party continues to believe that this is an unconstitutional statute designed to prohibit elderly, poor and disabled voters from having a voice in our government, the Republicans have made SB 1014 the law in our state - for the time being, at least. An aggressive challenge to this law will be made, but we must work now to ensure that every eligible Missouri voter has the required photo ID in November. To do that, we need your help.


First, we need you to make sure you have an approved photo ID. The law requires photo IDs to meet the following requirements:

The ID must be state-issued and include both your name and photograph
The name and address on the photo ID must match the address under which you are registered to vote
Non-expiring or non-expired Missouri non-driver's licenses and non-expired Missouri driver's licenses are acceptable forms of identification under the new law
Identification cards issued by the United States, the state of Missouri, the Missouri National Guard, the U.S. armed forces or the Veterans' Administration also count as long as they include both your name and photograph and are not expired at the time of the election

To receive an approved photo ID from the state of Missouri, you will need the following items:

Proof of lawful presence (most likely a raised-seal birth certificate)


If you were born in a Missouri hospital, you can obtain a birth certificate for $15 from the health department in the county in which you were born. You will need to complete an application, and in most cases, a health department official should be able to issue the birth certificate in a matter of minutes.
If you were born at home, were adopted or have changed your name, you will have to contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, at [phone]. Receiving a birth certificate from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services could take as long as six to eight weeks if one is on file with the department. Those applying for a birth certificate for the first time - for instance, many of the elderly Missouri voters who were born at home - may face a six-month backlog, however.
Your county health department should be able to provide information about whom to contact if you were born outside of Missouri; processing times and fees vary by state.
Other accepted forms of proof of lawful presence include a U.S. passport, certificate of citizenship, certificate of naturalization or certificate of birth abroad.

Proof of identity (most likely a Social Security card)

To apply for a Social Security card or to receive a replacement card, you will need to complete federal Form SS-5 and present documentation of your identity and age, including a birth certificate in most cases. Helpful information about this process is available online at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling the Social Security Administration's toll-free number, [phone].


Proof of residency


You must provide one of several acceptable pieces of mail or documents to prove your permanent address. Only one of the following will fulfill this requirement:

Most recent utility bill
Most recent voter-registration card
Most recent bank statement
Most recent government check
Most recent pay check
Most recent property tax receipt
Most recent housing rental contract for your current residence
Mortgage documents for your current residence
Official letter or document from a state or local agency that is on the agency's letterhead or contains the official seal of the issuing agency and was issued within the previous 30 days
Letter or other documentation issued by the postmaster within the previous 30 days
Other government document that contains the name and address of the applicant issued within the previous 30 days

Proof of name change

If your name has changed, you will need to provide documentation of the change. Such documentation could include:
A marriage license

If you were married in Missouri, you will need to contact either the Recorder of Deeds in the county in which you purchased the marriage license or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. County officials' contact information is available at http://www.sos.mo.gov/MOroster/county_officials.pdf. You can reach the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at [phone], [phone] or http://www.dhss.mo.gov/BirthAndDeathRecords/index.html.


The National Center for Health Statistics provides contact information for counties outside Missouri. If you were married outside Missouri, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm to find information about how to order a copy of your marriage license.


A divorce decree

If your name changed because of a divorce in Missouri, you will need to contact the clerk of the Circuit court that granted the divorce. You can find clerks' contact information at http://www.sos.mo.gov/MOroster/county_officials.pdf.

The National Center for Health Statistics provides contact information for counties outside Missouri. If your divorce was granted by a court outside Missouri, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm to find information about how to order a copy of your marriage license.



Next, we need you to make sure your family members and friends have approved IDs.


Checking to see that every voter in your household has a valid, current Missouri non-driver's license or driver's license would be a great first step.
The new law requires the Missouri Department of Revenue to operate a mobile processing system to issue non-driver's licenses to elderly and disabled Missourians at no cost. Beginning soon, these mobile units will travel the state to issue licenses at nursing homes, boarding homes and other public places. We encourage elderly and disabled voters to take advantage of this opportunity. For more information about the department's mobile units, call [phone].
The state will pay all the fees for applicants for non-driver's licenses but not for birth certificates.
Under the law, voters with physical or mental disabilities, handicaps or "sincerely held religious beliefs" and those who are 65 or older may cast a "provisional" ballot if they do not have an approved ID. Casting a provisional ballot certainly is a better option than staying home on Election Day. Our goal, however, is to help all our voters receive an approved ID before November.

As a side note, Missouri law allows absentee voting for specific reasons - for instance, for those who are sick or will be out of town. This new law doesn't change the absentee-voting process at all.

Gov. Blunt overturned half a century's worth of progress in the area of voting rights today when he signed SB 1014. We'll keep you posted as we move forward in the courts. In the meantime, there are a few more things you can do to help:


Contact your local media. Letters to the editor would be a great way for you to express your anger with the Republicans' newly legalized discrimination and to inform your community about the new voter ID requirements.
Discuss the new law with your neighbors, members of your congregation and coworkers. We need to make sure everyone understands the new requirements and is ready to vote in November.
Finally, please support our Democratic candidates throughout this election year. Securing a victory for Democrats in November will be the best way to get Missouri moving forward again.

Please don't hesitate to contact our office with any questions or concerns about the new voter ID law or about any other subject. You can reach us at [phone]. Our entire staff is committed to ensuring equal access to the polls for all Missourians.


Sincerely,



Corey Dillon
Executive Director
Missouri Democratic Party