Section 115.157

Title IX SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 115

Effective - 28 Aug 2022, 4 histories   

  115.157.  Computerized registration system, contents, requirements — voter history and information, how entered, when released — records closed, when. — 1.  The election authority may place all information on any registration cards in computerized form in accordance with section 115.158.  No election authority or secretary of state shall furnish to any member of the public electronic media or printout showing any registration information, except as provided in this section.  Except as provided in subsection 2 of this section, the election authority or secretary of state shall make available electronic media or printouts showing only unique voter identification numbers, voters' names, year of birth, addresses, townships or wards, and precincts.  Electronic data shall be maintained in at least the following separate fields:

  (1)  Voter identification number;

  (2)  First name;

  (3)  Middle initial;

  (4)  Last name;

  (5)  Suffix;

  (6)  Street number;

  (7)  Street direction;

  (8)  Street name;

  (9)  Street suffix;

  (10)  Apartment number;

  (11)  City;

  (12)  State;

  (13)  Zip code;

  (14)  Township;

  (15)  Ward;

  (16)  Precinct;

  (17)  Senatorial district;

  (18)  Representative district;

  (19)  Congressional district; and

  (20)  Political party affiliation.

  2.  All election authorities shall enter voter history in their computerized registration systems and shall, not more than three months after the election, forward such data to the Missouri voter registration system established in section 115.158.  In addition, election authorities shall forward registration and other data in a manner prescribed by the secretary of state to comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

  3.  Except as provided in subsection 6 of this section, the election authority shall furnish, for a fee, electronic media or a printout showing only the names, year of birth, addresses, and political party affiliations of voters, or any part thereof, within the jurisdiction of the election authority who voted in any specific election, including primary elections, by township, ward or precinct, provided that nothing in this chapter shall require such voter information to be released to the public over the internet and shall not be used for commercial purposes.

  4.  Except as provided in subsection 6 of this section, upon a request by a candidate, a duly authorized representative of a campaign committee, or a political party committee, the secretary of state shall furnish, for a fee determined by the secretary of state and in compliance with section 610.026, media in an electronic format or, if so requested, in a printed format, showing the names, addresses, and voter identification numbers of voters within the jurisdiction of a specific election authority who applied for an absentee ballot under section 115.279 for any specific election involving a ballot measure or an office for which the declaration of candidacy is required to be filed with the secretary of state pursuant to section 115.353, including primary elections, by township, ward, or precinct.  Nothing in this section shall require such voter information to be released to the public over the internet.  For purposes of this section, the terms "candidate", "campaign committee", and "political party committee" shall have the same meaning given to such terms in section 130.011.

  5.  The amount of fees charged for information provided in this section shall be established pursuant to chapter 610.  All revenues collected by the secretary of state pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the secretary of state's technology trust fund account established pursuant to section 28.160.  In even-numbered years, each election authority shall, upon request, supply the voter registration list for its jurisdiction to all candidates and party committees for a charge established pursuant to chapter 610.  Except as provided in subsection 6 of this section, all election authorities shall make the information described in this section available pursuant to chapter 610.  Any election authority who fails to comply with the requirements of this section shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 610.

  6.  Any person working as an undercover officer of a local, state or federal law enforcement agency, persons in witness protection programs, and victims of domestic violence and abuse who have received orders of protection pursuant to chapter 455 shall be entitled to apply to the circuit court having jurisdiction in his or her county of residence to have the residential address on his or her voter registration records closed to the public if the release of such information could endanger the safety of the person.  Any person working as an undercover agent or in a witness protection program shall also submit a statement from the chief executive officer of the agency under whose direction he or she is serving.  The petition to close the residential address shall be incorporated into any petition for protective order provided by circuit clerks pursuant to chapter 455.  If satisfied that the person filing the petition meets the qualifications of this subsection, the circuit court shall issue an order to the election authority to keep the residential address of the voter a closed record and the address may be used only for the purposes of administering elections pursuant to this chapter.  The election authority may require the voter who has a closed residential address record to verify that his or her residential address has not changed or to file a change of address and to affirm that the reasons contained in the original petition are still accurate prior to receiving a ballot.  A change of address within an election authority's jurisdiction shall not require that the voter file a new petition.  Any voter who no longer qualifies pursuant to this subsection to have his or her residential address as a closed record shall notify the circuit court.  Upon such notification, the circuit court shall void the order closing the residential address and so notify the election authority.

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(L. 1977 H.B. 101 § 7.070, A.L. 1982 S.B. 526, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1471, et al., A.L. 1988 H.B. 933, et al., A.L. 1993 S.B. 88, A.L. 1994 S.B. 635, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1557 & 1489, A.L. 1999 H.B. 676, A.L. 2002 S.B. 675, A.L. 2003 H.B. 511, A.L. 2018 H.B. 1446 merged with S.B. 592, A.L. 2022 H.B. 1878)