April 2010 Early Voting
The JCRC believes that the right to vote is a fundamental right and that all persons wishing to vote should be given a meaningful opportunity to do so.
The JCRC believes that early/advance voting for national, Missouri and local elections would accommodate potential voters who may not be able to vote on Election Day.
Early/advance voting options, which include allowing voters to go to the polls at designated locations in advance of Election Day and/or allowing no-excuse absentee voting prior to Election Day, will benefit all voters but will especially benefit the elderly, the poor and those with inflexible family and employment obligations.
Therefore, it shall be specified that:
1. The JCRC supports and endorses advance voting bills that provide for voting in advance of elections at central locations advertised by election authorities, and where possible at additional satellite locations, so that individuals seeking to vote prior to Election Day have meaningful access to do so.
2. The JCRC supports and endorses no-excuse absentee voting bills that allow registered voters to vote by absentee ballot without having to state a reason for doing so, as such bills provide additional access to voting.
3. The JCRC will monitor bills and ballot initiatives that seek to expand access to voting by allowing advance voting and no-excuse absentee voting and shall support legislative efforts and ballot initiatives similar to those noted above that allow for increased access to the polls for all citizens of Missouri.
