Section 115.417

Title IX SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 115

Effective - 28 Aug 2003, 4 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  115.417.  Voter instruction cards to be delivered to polls — instructions and sample ballot to be posted, how. — 1. Before the time fixed by law for the opening of the polls, the election authority shall deliver to each polling place a sufficient number of voter instruction cards which include the following information:

  (1) If paper ballots or an electronic voting system is used, the instructions shall inform the voter on how to obtain a ballot for voting, how to vote and prepare the ballot for deposit in the ballot box and how to obtain a new ballot to replace one accidentally spoiled;

  (2) If voting machines are used, the instructions shall inform the voter how to operate the machine in such a manner that the voter may vote as the voter wishes.

  2. The election authority at each polling place shall post in a conspicuous place voting instructions on a poster no smaller than twenty-four inches by thirty inches. Such instructions shall also inform the voter that the voting equipment can be demonstrated upon request of the voter. The election authority shall also publicly post during the period of time in which a person may cast an absentee ballot and on election day a sample version of the ballot that will be used for that election, the date of the election, the hours during which the polling place will be open, instructions for mail-in registrants and first-time voters, general information on voting rights in accordance with the state plan filed by the secretary of state pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, general information on the right to cast a provisional ballot and instructions for provisional ballots, how to contact appropriate authorities if voting rights have been violated, and general information on federal and Missouri law regarding prohibitions on acts of fraud and misrepresentation. The secretary of state may promulgate rules to execute this section. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to the authority of this section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to chapter 536.

  3. If marking devices or voting machines are used, the election authority shall also provide to each polling place a model of a marking device or portion of the face of a voting machine. If requested to do so by a voter, the election judges shall give instructions on operation of the marking device or voting machine by use of the model.

  4. The secretary of state may develop multilingual voting instructions to be made available to election authorities.

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(L. 1977 H.B. 101 § 11.020, A.L. 2002 S.B. 675, A.L. 2003, H.B. 511)