voting rights

The law, which went into effect July 1, was designed to rapidly remove ineligible voters from registration rolls and restrict the use of voter registration websites. The Republican-led Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto to pass the bill.

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days after it.

The Supreme Court has left in place a ruling that strikes down a key tool for enforcing Voting Rights Act protections for voters with a disability or an inability to read or write in seven states, including Missouri.

Some Republicans want to convert the St. Louis-based 1st Congressional District into a winnable seat, after successfully carving up Kansas City in order to oust Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II. But doing that could place the entire map at risk for a Democratic takeover.

Backers of the Respect Missouri Voters initiative turned in roughly 350,000 signatures on Sunday to the Missouri secretary of state’s office. Lawmakers would be barred from changing or repealing voter-approved statutes or constitutional amendments, unless 80% of the legislature agrees to put the changes to another statewide vote.

By weakening Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination in redistricting, the Supreme Court has paved the way for the largest-ever drop in representation by Black members of Congress.

Even though the Supreme Court's decision gutting the Voting Rights Act would likely allow the Missouri legislature to redraw the 1st Congressional District in 2027, GOP lawmakers may be hesitant to change the St. Louis-based seat.

The court, in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines, ruled that Louisiana's 2024 election map, which created a second majority-Black congressional district, was "an unconstitutional racial gerrymander."

Trump's order attempts to restrict mail-in ballots only to voters on an approved federal list. But Democrats and postal law experts have said the Postal Service has no authority over elections.

Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed dozens of bills, but Republicans overrode a majority to force the measures into law — including restrictions on student protesters, funding for anti-abortion centers, and more power for landlords.

The U.S. House has passed a version of the SAVE Act that requires people to produce additional documents if they are registering to vote with a different name than the one on their birth certificate. Critics say it disproportionately affects women, transgender individuals and others who've changed their name.

The U.S. Department of Justice claimed in court it already has sensitive data on voters so it can check for people who should not be registered. However, the Kansas secretary of state said none of that information has been shared.