voting rights

At the center of the case is a Missouri law that says the secretary of state must pay between $100 and $500 to an aggrieved person if the officeholder “neglect[s] or refuse[s] to perform any of the duties enjoined on him by law."

The Missouri Supreme Court's ruling means the congressional map from 2022 will be in place for the November general election, giving longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II a stronger chance to keep his seat.

Kansas will vote on a constitutional amendment that says only U.S. citizens may vote in any election — something that's already law.

The Respect Missouri Voters campaign submitted more than 330,000 signatures for an amendment that would limit lawmakers from repealing or changing laws approved through the initiative process. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition Tuesday while also replacing the ballot title he already certified.

Republican Pat Proctor and Democrat Jennifer Day are running for Kansas secretary of state, the office in charge of managing elections. Here's a guide to the candidates running in the 2026 election.

A new law passed by Republicans in the Kansas Legislature repeals a three-day grace period for mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Election Day. Civic groups sued, calling it a “deliberate and unconstitutional assault on Kansans’ fundamental right to vote.”

Several states, including Missouri, have ballot measures this year that could raise the thresholds needed to pass state constitutional amendments. Many advocates are critical of such limits on direct democracy.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an additional 35 bills Monday evening, including legislation that raises the speed limit on rural highways and interstates to 75 mph.

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.