Abstract
Nearly fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court of Missouri held that “the right to vote is fundamental to Missouri citizens” and is afforded protections against voter identification requirements beyond what is provided by the United States Constitution.1 Since that time, state lawmakers have made numerous attempts to impose more stringent voter identification requirements.2 In Priorities USA v. State, the Supreme Court of Missouri struck down the latest of those attempts for unconstitutionally infringing upon the right to vote.3 Part II of this Note examines the facts and holding of that case. Part III examines the history, critiques, and challenges of voter identification (“ID”) laws both in Missouri and nationwide. Part IV analyzes the legal reasoning behind both the majority and dissenting opinions in Priorities USA. Finally, Part V of this Note then examines the future of voter ID requirements in Missouri and argues that ongoing attempts to impose tightened requirements have the potential to do harm to Missouri voters without providing any clear benefits.
Recommended Citation
Tyler M. Ludwig,
Show Me Your ID: Missouri Voter Identification Laws and the Right to Vote,
85 Mo. L. Rev.
(2020)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/mlr/vol85/iss4/12