Missouri Legislation
2024 Missouri Legislative Bills:
Missouri House: HJR 104 introduced by Ben Baker (R) to ban ranked choice voting. This would be a proposed constitutional amendment we'd vote on state-wide in November.
Status: A hearing was announced last Monday for the next day, so it happened on February 20. We submitted written testimony since that was too short notice to travel to Jefferson City. (That's deliberate, a common practice in the House to minimize participation.) The bill's sponsor was the only one saying anything substantive in favor. Two members of the election committee did an excellent job of speaking against it, and one person from St. Louis testified well against it. If the vote were based on the hearing, the bill would probably be dead. But of course the hearing is only part of what determines the vote.
Missouri House: HB 2244 introduced by Eric Wood (D) to provide for ranked choice voting.
Status: This hasn't been assigned to committee yet and probably won't be. We can hope for future sessions. But getting RCV in the state will probably be after we can get it in several cities.
Missouri Senate: SJR 78 introduced by Ben Brown (R) to ban ranked choice voting; the same as the House version.
Status: Hearing held on February 12. We had no notification and so can't say how it went.
Previous Legislation ATTEMPTS:
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2023 session:
HB 739 Creates provisions for ranked-choice voting sponsored by Representatives Woods, Eric and Adrian Plank
HJR 66 Modifies constitutional provisions about election and voting sponsored by Representative Baker, Ben
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2022 session:
HB 2254 Creates provisions for instant runoff voting sponsored by Representatives Dan Stacy and Paula Brown
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2021 session:
HB 1137 Creates provisions for instant runoff voting sponsored by Representatives Dan Stacy and Paula Brown
HB 1344 Creates provisions for instant runoff voting sponsored by Representative Rory Rowland
Legislation submitted in the U.S. Senate during the 2020 session:
- Voter Choice Act, sponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Angus King (I-Maine), along with U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) . The Voter Choice Act provides $40 million in federal grants to cover up to 50 percent of the cost for local and state governments that voluntarily choose to transition to RCV. The text of the legislation is available HERE. A one-page summary of the legislation is available HERE.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2020 session:
- HB 1436, sponsored by Representative Dan Stacy. Creates provisions for instant runoff voting.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2019 session:
- HB 27, sponsored by Representative Dan Stacy. Requires all state and federal offices to use an instant runoff voting method
- HB 28, sponsored by Representative Dan Stacy. Requires all local elections to use an instant runoff voting method
Petition circulated in Missouri during the 2018 session:
- Circulated by Winston Apple. The measure would have created a ranked-choice system of electing officials to the following offices: U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, and state auditor.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2011 session:
- HB 381, sponsored by Jake Zimmerman, cosponsored by seven others. Allows municipalities and other political subdivisions to conduct elections using instant runoff voting procedures.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2010 session:
- HB 1897, sponsored by Jake Zimmerman, cosponsored by Beth Low of District 39 and eight others. Allows municipalities and other political subdivisions to conduct elections using instant runoff voting procedures.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2009 session:
- HB 463, sponsored by Jake Zimmerman, cosponsored by Beth Low of District 39. Allows municipalities and other political subdivisions to conduct elections using instant runoff voting procedures.
- SB 303, sponsored by Jeff Smith of District 4 (also St Louis area). Allows instant runoff voting for municipalities and political subdivisions.
Legislation submitted in Missouri during the 2008 session:
- HB 2089, a bill in the MO house that will require all primary and general elections held after January 1, 2009, for statewide offices and state representative and state senator to be conducted using ranked-choice voting procedures!
-The MO Senate just had a hearing on a new bill, SB 1231, requiring RCV for all primary, general, and special elections where there are three or more candidates running for the office of President and Vice President; United States Senate or House of Representatives; Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor, or State Senator or Representative.