Missouri Secretary of State

Florida, Missouri and West Virginia announced they're pulling out of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, the only system states have to share voter registration data. The system has been the target of a sustained misinformation campaign from the far-right.

The public comment period is ending for proposed rules from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, which threaten to take away state funding from libraries unless they restrict "non-age-appropriate materials" from minors. Ashcroft says the rules are meant to empower parents, but library administrators call it a slippery slope.

Jay Ashcroft argues his proposed restrictions on "non-age-appropriate materials" in libraries will give parents more power over what their kids consume. Library administrators say the rule would force them to take on a “big brother status,” and threaten equal access to information for all children.

Public comment is closing soon on a proposal from the Missouri Secretary of State, who wants to crack down on which materials children can access in public libraries. But former library administrators are speaking out against what they see as government overreach.

The proposal by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would threaten the funding of libraries over "non-age-appropriate materials" for minors. But former library administrators say the rules are "redundant and unnecessary."

Since the end of the 2022 election cycle, there’s been increased talk from proponents and opponents of abortion rights about putting a constitutional amendment about the issue on the 2024 ballot. But a proposal from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft would raise the bar for passing those amendments to 60%.

Missouri has changed its requirements for accepted forms of voter identification since the August primary and put new restrictions on get-out-the-vote efforts.

Under the proposed rule, Jay Ashcroft’s office said in a news release, “state funds could not be used to purchase or acquire inappropriate materials in any form that appeal to the prurient interest of a minor.”

The office of Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, filed an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case that could give state lawmakers the power to set election rules, draw congressional maps without any review by state courts, and potentially refuse to certify presidential election results.

Missouri's Secretary of State defends a new election law requiring anyone who wants to cast a ballot to have a form of government-issued photo identification. Two lawsuits have already been filed to block the restrictions from taking effect.

Even if you do not have a government-issued photo ID and haven't voted in decades, Missouri Secretary of State John Ashcroft says if you're registered you can still cast a ballot in November.

Filed by attorney Chuck Hatfield on behalf of three plaintiffs, the lawsuit names the Judicial Redistricting Commission and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft as defendants. The commission created the map and Ashcroft implemented it for this year’s elections.