Missouri: Changing the requirements for petitions
Missouri lawmakers sent a bill to the governor that would change the process for citizens to place proposals on voting ballots.
House Bill 117 makes new requirements for those involved in petitioning to have a proposal appear on election ballots in 2014. State Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, who handled the bill in the Missouri Senate, says it will make the petition process more open and understandable to voters.
“It does five things basically, and the main thing you want to think about is transparency,” Wasson said.
House Bill 117 would require the ballot title to appear on initiative and referendum petitions, and would increase penalties for persons who commit petition signature fraud.